Full Circle
by JenRar
Summary: Edward left Bella in New Moon to keep her safe. Not all monsters are immortal, and fate usually gets its way, no matter how hard you fight it. Rated M for language, lemons, and adult situations. Not your typical "Bella has a baby" story. Meaning, no half-vampire babies. AU after New Moon.
1. Chapter 1

"_Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." – Maya Angelou_

**March 12, 2007  
><strong>Bella's POV<strong>  
><strong>

I woke to the sounds of a pitiful cry coming from the crib in the corner of my crowded room. My two-month-old daughter was apparently awake and determined to let me know it. I hurriedly threw the blanket off and stumbled out of bed, not wanting Lizzie to wake Charlie and Sue in the next room.

"Hush, pretty girl," I cooed softly. "Momma's right here." I gave her the pacifier that had dropped out while she slept and picked her up carefully, immediately realizing the reason she was crying so insistently. "Let's get you a new diaper, huh?"

I cuddled her to me in one hand as I grabbed a fresh diaper, wipes, and the changing pad from the shelf, along with a new onesie from the drawer of my dresser. Setting everything but the baby down, I climbed up on the bed, carefully laying Lizzie down on the padded vinyl, and started in on the task of cleaning her up. She'd quit crying when I'd given her the pacifier, leaving the room in silence, aside from the sound of the tape from her diaper and my coos.

Once she was clean and dressed, I disposed of the diaper in the diaper genie beside my bed and then grabbed the hand sanitizer, pumping out a bit and rubbing it into my skin before picking Lizzie up again. "Let's go downstairs, and Momma will fix your bottle, okay, sweetheart?"

I made my way downstairs—I was much more careful to not trip over my own two feet now that I had to carry a baby everywhere—and set her in the bouncer on the kitchen table. Once she was settled, I grabbed the formula from the refrigerator and a clean bottle from the cabinet. When it was filled and the extra formula was back in the fridge, I popped it into a saucepan of water, turned on the burner, and set about making coffee.

I'd tried to nurse when Lizzie was born, but after the first month, I realized I simply wasn't enjoying it as much as I'd been told I would. I'd had problems getting her to latch on properly and trying to get us into a comfortable position, and it had caused us both a lot of stress. Charlie had suggested switching to formula so he or Sue could feed her when I needed a break or he got the urge. I'd been so grateful for the suggestion, and several times over the last month, I'd taken him up on the offer so I could continue to sleep. Now I could relax when I fed her—a far cry from the frustration I'd felt before. She and I were both happier than we'd been every time she'd had to nurse that first month.

When the warmer beeped softly to signal the bottle was ready, I turned it off, tested it on my wrist, and then picked up my daughter, sitting back in my seat at the table to feed her. That's where we were twenty minutes later when my dad came shuffling into the kitchen, wearing jeans, a flannel shirt, and socks.

"Morning, Bells," he said, patting my shoulder. "And morning to you, baby girl." He leaned down and gave Lizzie a quick kiss on the top of her head as she ate. "Did she sleep okay?"

I smiled, nodding. "Yeah, she only woke up once around two o'clock for a bottle."

"That's good," Charlie said gruffly. "About every four hours. That's not too bad. Want some breakfast?"

My stomach growled loudly, and he laughed. "Guess that's a yes."

"Yeah, thanks," I said, chuckling softly so as to not disturb the baby, who was sucking greedily at the almost-empty bottle.

"Toast and eggs okay?" he asked, head buried in the fridge.

"That's fine." Looking up at the clock, which read just after six thirty in the morning, I asked, "What are you doing up so early?"

He turned away from the fridge and looked at me, his arms full of butter, eggs, a jar of grape jelly, and the jug of milk. "You still planning on going out later?"

I nodded slowly. I'd asked him a few days before if he could watch Lizzie for a few hours today because I had something I needed to do and I knew Sue was going to be helping out at the school on the reservation. He'd looked like he wanted to ask me what my plans were, but rather than give in to that curiosity, he'd just said it wouldn't be a problem. There were advantages to being the chief—one of which was the ability to take off a few hours when needed.

"I thought I'd go in early and put a few hours in before you need me back to watch Elizabeth. What time do you need me?"

"Thanks, Dad," I said, smiling softly. "I should only be gone a few hours. Whenever is fine."

Charlie nodded once, and then we were quiet as he made breakfast and I burped a now sleepy Lizzie. As soon as she let out a quiet gas bubble, she yawned and her eyes began to close.

"I'm gonna go put her back upstairs, and then I'll be back down," I told him, leaving the room after his grunt of acknowledgment.

We ate in silence, listening to the sleepy little baby noises coming through the monitor. We'd never been big talkers, having preferred to eat and not talk for as long as I could remember—certainly since I'd moved to Forks just over two years ago. It wasn't usually an uncomfortable silence, though. We were both just rather reserved. So when Charlie spoke, it startled me, and I nearly knocked over my glass of milk as I was reaching for it.

"So where ya going today?" he asked, trying hard to sound casual.

How did I tell him I was going out to one of the places that meant the most to me in the world? How did I explain _why_ it was an important place?

"I, uh..." I stuttered, trying to come up with the words. "Just a place I went to with a friend that I haven't been to in a while." _A year, to be exact,_ I thought, but Charlie didn't need to know that.

He looked at me suspiciously, but when I didn't offer up any more information, he shrugged. "Okay, well, I'll be home before lunch."

I smiled, thanking him silently for not pushing, and then stood to gather our dishes. "I've got these. Thanks for breakfast."

He grunted in response and then padded out to the entry way. He popped his head back in a couple of minutes later, tugging on his jacket. I handed him a travel mug of coffee I'd made for him, and he took it, sipping gratefully. "Thanks, Bells. See you in a few."

"We'll be here," I said, my eyes flickering to the baby monitor on the table.

"I'll bring home lunch, and you can go out after?" he offered.

"That'd be great, thanks."

He nodded and then turned to leave.

Checking the clock once I heard the door click closed, I thought, _Six hours and counting..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Bella's POV**

Wearing jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a heavy jacket, I reached the end of Route 110 and climbed out of my car—I'd had to give up the truck when I was pregnant with Lizzie, since it had no back seat for her car seat. The rest of the trip would have to be made on foot. The first time I'd come out here after Edward left—with Jacob's help—I'd gotten horribly lost. We'd come back several times after that, eventually getting close.

The first time I found it, I was by myself, and I'd never been happier about that fact. I'd broken down in horrible, gut-wrenching sobs. That had been the worst moment I'd had in months, and I'd felt again like I had right after he left. That was exactly a year ago, on the first anniversary of the day Edward took me to his meadow.

Now, exactly two years to the day, I was going back. If someone had asked me why, I wasn't sure I could tell them. It was a way to keep him close. A place that was...just us.

Memories assaulted me as I quickly hiked through the trees.

_Wildflowers, in violet, yellow, and white_

_Soft sounds of the birds, a nearby stream, and the wind as it blew through the surrounding trees_

_Edward, sparkling in the sun for the first time_

_Showing me his strength, his speed_

_Our first kiss..._

Other memories of my time with Edward raced through my mind, making my stomach flutter, like a thousand butterflies had been set loose inside me. Some were good, some were bad, but I could look back on them now without falling apart—usually. I would never stop loving him, and I would never forget him, but everything I'd been through in the last eleven months had put a lot of things in perspective.

When I finally reached the edge of the meadow, I took a moment to collect myself and then stepped out into the sunlight. As it always had, the beauty of it took my breath away. The flowers were still the brilliant colors I remembered. There wasn't much of a breeze at the moment, so everything was still.

_Ethereal._

I walked out to the middle of the field of flowers and sat, letting my emotions swell and build, until I found tears running silently down my cheeks. I was crying for lost love and heartache. I still ached for him as much as I had the day he left. I wasn't whole, and even though I loved Lizzie with every fiber of my being and would die to protect her, there was a piece of me that was missing. When Edward left, he ripped a hole in my chest and tore my heart to shreds. When my daughter was born, that first moment I saw her, when she gripped my finger in her tiny fist, that love helped repair _some_ of the damage done when Edward left me in the woods, telling me he didn't want me to come with him. But I was far from healed. In fact, wasn't sure I ever would be. I truly believed, at the very least, that I would always feel a twinge in my chest when I woke up and realized Edward wasn't back.

But some of the tears were happy tears, brought forth from the memories of my time with Edward. I remembered the first time he brought me here to the meadow—how new we still were as a couple, making every moment I spent with him feel magical, especially in this place that was full of life and innocence. Seeing his skin in the sun for the first time, sparkling like his body was covered in diamonds, had just added to the magic. He'd made the beautiful scenery seem dull in comparison to the wonder that was Edward—from his skin, to his strong jawline, and his fathomless eyes, which went from a honey gold to black and back again. This place was where he'd ultimately declared his feelings for me, the insignificant human.

"_And so the lion fell in love with the lamb."_

The word love coming from his perfect lips had warmed me beyond measure.

It was at the end of that first visit that we'd shared our first kiss, as well. Just the briefest touch of his cool, firm lips to mine, and I was lost. I'd thrown myself at him, shocking us both, but it had been a moment I would never forget.

For a moment, I was back in time. I could almost feel him with me, his finger tracing the blush that inevitably rose on my cheeks in his presence, his nose sweeping across my collarbone to my neck, inhaling gently, acclimating himself to my scent. Like he had that first visit to this special place, I could feel him hug me to him, resting his ear against my chest as he listened to the rather excited beating of my heart.

For a long time, I sat there in the sun, lightly touching the petals of the nearest flowers with the tips of my fingers. It was so peaceful, like a healing balm to my soul.

And then...I heard a voice.

"Ahh, it's the lovely Bella," Laurent said. His French accent was thicker than I remembered from our previous meeting, but unlike last time, I could hear the menace dripping from his words. His blood-red eyes were like a beacon of evil.

"What, uh...what are you doing here?" I stammered. "I thought you were in Alaska."

He chuckled—even that sounded evil to my ears—and shook his head. "Yes, well, as it turns out, that lifestyle didn't suit me. I left it some time ago."

"So you're on your own?" I tried to calm my racing heart, because I knew he could hear it easily, but one more glance at his deadly looking eyes had it beating infinitely faster.

"No..." he said, drawing out the word. "I met up with an old friend recently and have been traveling with her. You remember Victoria, no?"

_Flaming red hair that matched her eyes. James's mate. Oh yes, I remembered Victoria._

"No," I said, trying to put as much bravado in my voice as I could muster. "Can't say I do."

He laughed again. "Oh, come now. Your mate—Edward, is it?—killed hers. I'm sure you remember James. After all, he did give you that...lovely scar, didn't he?" He glanced down at my arm, where the edge of the crescent-shaped scar showed just past the end of the sleeve of my jacket.

I didn't bother answering him, but pulled my sleeve down until I was clutching the end in my fist as I began backing away slowly.

"Where are you going?" he asked smoothly, taking a step toward me. "Don't you want to get to know one another better?"

I shook my head slightly. "I, uh, think I'd better get home. It was, uh, nice to see you again."

I turned and began moving much more quickly in the direction of my car, but before I'd taken five steps, Laurent was in front of me, halting my progress. I started to try to run around him—a futile gesture, I knew—and was stopped by his hands on my arms. His fingers wrapped around my biceps, squeezing just this side of painful.

"I think you should stay awhile," he said softly, pulling me to him. "I've been traveling a long time to see you, Bella. It would be...rude of you to leave now."

He held me tight to him, using one hand to brush my hair away from my neck.

"Wh-What do you want?" I asked, my voice shaking as hard as my body was beginning to.

"Oh, my delightfully scented Isabella..." He leaned in and brushed his nose along the column of my throat.

Funny, when Edward had done that, it had been erotic. Now, though, I was just terrified.

"I think I will enjoy this," he purred before leaning down once more.

I felt his tongue lick the side of my neck once, and then his teeth sliced through my skin, immediately bringing with it a fiery pain. I didn't know how long we stood there, him drinking from my neck as I struggled weakly, but the next thing I knew, he was yanking his mouth away.

He screamed something in French, and then he pushed me away from him. I fell to the ground, hitting my head on the hard earth, and as my vision dimmed, I saw him turn and run. Just before it all went black, I saw wolves race by, giving chase, and then Jacob's concerned face appeared above mine.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Jacob's POV**

On my orders, the rest of the pack raced off after the dreadlocked bloodsucker while I stayed behind to attend to Bella. As soon as I shifted back to two legs instead of four, I pulled on shorts and stumbled over to my friend, who was lying crumpled and bleeding among the flowers.

"Bella?" I called, bending over her in time to see her eyes slide closed.

Blood covered her head and shoulders. At first I thought she'd hit her head when the vamp threw her down, but when I looked closer, I saw... _Shit!_ There was a gaping bite mark on her neck.

The fucker had bitten her.

For a moment, I thought about killing her—she was going to turn into a vampire, my natural enemy, after all—but I immediately dismissed that idea. Bella was my friend, and as much as I hated what she was going to become, I would give her the benefit of the doubt. If she didn't follow the "vegetarian" diet, though, I knew I'd have no choice.

Bella began to thrash about, moaning and muttering something.

"What? Bella, it's Jake. Say that again," I urged.

"Hurts!" she cried, still not opening her eyes. "Victoria! Oh, God, Laurent! Bit me! Jake, help! It hurts! Oh, God, Lizzie! Jake, help!"

Victoria? That was the red-headed vamp that Bella had told me about last year. Shit, was she involved? I had to get Bella out of here. When the screaming started—and I knew it would, if any of the stories I'd heard were true—I would need to have Bella far away, or the rest of the pack would hear her.

I moved away from Bella and shifted, immediately blocking the rest of the pack from my thoughts of Bella's condition.

_Jake!_ they all called when I joined them in silent conversation.

_What's going on?_ I asked.

Seth, my second-in-command, barked an order to everyone else to hush before answering me. _We have the vamp trapped and are about to go in._

_Be careful,_ I warned them. _I'm taking Bella somewhere safe. She said Victoria had something to do with this, so I'm not taking any chances. Quil, Embry, go guard Charlie's place. I'll check back after we get where we're going._

I didn't wait for any responses before I shifted back, threw my shorts back on, and carefully picked up the now-screaming Bella.

"Come on, Bells," I murmured. "Let's get you someplace safe."

With Bella securely in my arms—which was more difficult than I'd thought it would be, considering she was thrashing about like crazy—I raced up the mountain as quickly as I could. I knew of a spot way up, surrounded by trees and far from any possibility of coming across a human, and it was far enough away that no one—including my pack—would be able to hear her screams. It would be perfect for us to stay while Bella finished changing.

I had no idea what we would do then. Poor Lizzie and Charlie. Leaving her daughter would hurt Bella more than anything else ever could, including when Cullen had left her in the woods two years ago.

The next three days were hell on earth—quite literally for Bella, as she lay there screaming until she was hoarse. I tried several times to calm her, but my touch only set her off more. I could only guess that she was feeling hot enough that the extra warmth from my body made it worse.

About twenty-four hours into her change, I'd shifted and called to Seth privately. With him as my Beta, the two of us had the ability to speak to one another without any of the rest of the pack listening in, even if they were in wolf form. I'd given him our location, told him to give orders to the pack to continue keeping an eye on Charlie, Lizzie, and the rez, and ordered him up to Bella and me immediately.

When he'd made it up the mountain, I'd taken a few minutes to explain about Bella and then sent him off to stand guard in wolf form, so he'd hear if anyone—human or otherwise—came near. Being able to keep our thoughts private from the rest of the pack was a big help in cases like this, when one of us needed to be in our other skins but still maintain some privacy.

Now, I knew it was just a matter of hours, if not minutes, until Bella woke, fully transformed into a vampire. I'd left Seth with Bella a few hours ago and shifted to get something to eat. As a wolf, I could hear her heartbeat, and it was beginning to speed up significantly from the last time I'd heard it, so I assumed it wouldn't be long before it finally stopped beating altogether.

Most of what little knowledge I had of vampires and their "change" I'd learned from Bella herself. She was how I'd known to expect about three days for the transformation to complete. Unfortunately for me, that and the burning she was certainly feeling were pretty much all she'd known. Cullen hadn't been too forthcoming with her about it. I was smart enough to figure a few things out on my own, though. I assumed that when she first woke, she would be overcome with thirst—something I figured was a given. So as soon as her heart beat its last, I'd have Seth run out and catch her a deer. That way, she could eat as soon as possible.

I was sitting there across from Bella in the little cave we were in, when she started gasping for breath. Seth came running into the opening in wolf form, shifting as he did.

"Her heart!" he cried, looking horrified.

I nodded. "It'll be any minute. Go." When he didn't move, I said firmly, "Now, Seth. She needs you."

He loved Bella, and having to watch her go through this was tearing him apart inside, poor kid. He nodded and had shifted again by the time he turned around.

I looked over at Bella and stood, backing away slightly. I didn't want to be too close when she woke, because I wasn't sure how she'd react—to her new circumstances or to my presence.

With one last, gasping breath, Bella fell still and silent. For a long moment, nothing happened, until finally, suddenly, she opened her eyes and sucked in a deep breath.

"Bella," I started.

She hissed and jumped up, backing away to the far corner. Her head whipped back and forth, her hands balling up into fists at her sides.

"Whoa, Bells, it's just me...Jake. Do you remember what happened?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm and soothing.

Bella was quiet for several minutes, staring at me, and then glanced around the cave before looking back at me with a horrified expression on her face. When she spoke, her tone of voice damn near broke my heart.

"_V-Vampire... Oh, God, Lizzie!"_


	3. Chapter 3

**Bella's POV**

As I stood there in front of Jake, in some sort of cave from the looks of it, a red haze filled my vision. Laurent—that fucking bastard—had turned me into a vampire!

"Did you get him?" I asked, trying as hard as I could to tamp down the anger—and the fear—I was feeling.

Jake nodded. "The rest of the pack did," he assured me.

"Do they know?" I swallowed back the venom that had pooled in my mouth and clarified, "About me, I mean."

Jake started to answer, but a noise at the mouth of the cave caught my attention. I looked over, shocked to see a giant wolf—from the coloring, I knew immediately that it was Seth—holding a deer, obviously dead, in his teeth. I could smell the blood, feel the warmth of it as it dripped slowly out around Seth's teeth buried in its neck, so I knew it hadn't been dead long.

When I hesitated, Jake said, "Go on, Bells. It's for you. Just don't hurt Seth, okay? I don't want to—"

I was off before he could finish the sentence. It took me less than a second to reach Seth; I ripped the deer from his mouth, immediately putting it up to my own, desperate to get relief from the sudden burn in my throat. Wet, wonderful fluid felt like it was poured over me, filling me with warmth as I drank. It was both hell and ecstasy, both morbid and life sustaining, and something I knew I would never forget.

Somewhere in the bloody haze overwhelming my mind, I vaguely heard Jake order Seth back out for another, as I continued to take long pulls of blood from the deer's jugular. When I'd drained it dry, I dropped the carcass and began looking around, desperate for more.

"Stay with me, Bells," Jake said hesitantly. "Seth'll be right back with more, okay?"

Closing my eyes, I willed myself to calm down, to stay under control. I nodded, keeping my eyes closed.

"The pack?" I whispered. "Lizzie?"

I could hear Jake moving up closer to me, and I whirled around, crouching in fear.

"Whoa, Bells, chill. It's still just me. No, the rest of the pack doesn't know yet. I wanted to see—" His voice broke. "Well, I just wanted to give you time to get through the change and wake up before we see how we need to proceed. I told them I was keeping you in hiding from Victoria. I've got guards on Charlie's house, protecting him, Sue, and Lizzie. Don't worry. Nothing will happen to them."

Seth appeared in the opening again, this time with a still struggling deer in his jaws. Hearing the blood pumping actively through the animal's veins spurred me on, and I leapt at them, again ripping it from my stepbrother. I sank my teeth in, through hair and muscle, until the warm, thick blood began flowing down my throat. The animal's kicks got slower and slower, until finally, it was still, even as I continued to take draw after draw of the blood into my body.

Horrified now that I was thinking somewhat clearly again, I dropped the body and backed away slowly until my back hit the hard-packed dirt wall. With my eyes glued on the poor deer, I slowly slid to the floor, wrapping my arms around my knees.

"Get rid of them," Jake said quietly to Seth, who trotted out of the cave, only to come back in moments later in human form, wearing a pair of cut-offs. He grabbed both deer and left us again.

Jake slowly walked toward me, hands raised when I tensed. "Bells, you didn't do anything wrong. That's what you want, right?" he asked warily. "Uh, animals, I mean."

I nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah," I answered. Then I was quiet. "God, Jake, what's going to happen to Lizzie? And where does Charlie think I am?"

He grimaced. "Charlie called all your friends, including the pack, when you weren't back by that afternoon. He called in everyone to help search—Seth and I traded off being here and helping them while you were changing—and there are still search parties going on. No one is sure what to believe, because I found your car and hid it in La Push until we knew what was going to happen. I, uh, had Seth take care of the blood from the clearing, so even if they went there, no one would be able to tell anything."

Nodding again, I said, "Thanks."

Just thinking of Charlie and my daughter made my eyes sting with tears that would never fall. I scrubbed my hands over my face in anger and frustration. The need to cry was so strong, it was almost a physical ache, as if the overwhelming sadness I felt was building up and causing my chest to squeeze. There was no better way than a good cry to expel this kind of horrible sadness. The thought that I was now unable to do that made me so angry, I wanted to scream.

So I did.

I jumped to my feet and let out a frustrated sound—somewhat of a cross between a growl and a scream—slamming my fist against the cave wall. If I'd still been human, I would have broken my hand. As it was, I simply bored a hole into the rock wall, crumbling the dirt and stone to dust.

As the debris fell to the ground around me, I dropped back to my knees, forcing the heels of my hands against my eyes. My anger was gone for the moment, and I was back to the aching sadness of before. For a moment, I wanted nothing more than to be angry again. At least with anger, there was an outlet.

"It'll be okay, Bells," Seth said softly as he walked back into the cave, arms empty. "We'll help, and if there's a way, we'll figure it out. My mom's watching Lizzie while Charlie helps with the search."

I made a quiet sound to show I'd heard and then looked down at my hands. "I-I can't just leave Charlie to wonder where I am," I said brokenly. "He needs to know _something,_ at least. But I...I don't know how to do that."

"What if you write Charlie a note?" Seth suggested. "Tell him you needed a break."

I snorted. I would never need a break from my daughter. I knew Seth meant well, but the thought was almost ludicrous.

"No, Bells, think about it," Jake said quietly, nodding at Seth. "Lizzie's the best thing to ever happen to you, I know that."

I nodded, wondering where he was going with this.

"But you have to remember, I was around you when you came home last year and the whole time you were pregnant. It took you a long time to get to the point where you didn't relive that every day. Lizzie's birth—as wonderful a thing as it was...as perfect as she is—brought it all up again. You've been strong the last couple of months, but don't think I didn't notice the strain around your eyes sometimes, which tells me you haven't been sleeping well."

Snorting again, I said, "Jake, I have a newborn. Of course I'm not sleeping well." I paused, huffing. "Well, I _wasn't_ sleeping well. Now I'm not sleeping at all."

He shook his head. "I think it's more than that. I think you were having nightmares again."

I swallowed back the venom pooling in my throat and nodded reluctantly. I'd been having nightmares, much like the ones I'd had when Edward left and again after...spring break.

"So see?" he continued. "You can let Charlie know you needed a break for a few days, but you _will_ be back."

"But I won't," I whispered, the need to cry rising hopelessly again.

"Th-Then we'll deal with that later," he said, his voice firm. "Now, how's your thirst?" he asked curiously. "Around us, I mean."

"I don't want to eat you, if that's what you mean," I said with a snort.

He and Seth chuckled. "That's good. How about we go get some more to eat?"

I tensed, not sure I was ready to leave the relative safety of the cave.

"Don't worry," Seth assured me. "There's no one around for miles, and there's plenty of wildlife around here. I think I heard some mountain lions and other deer not too far."

"And you guys will..." My voice trailed off. I didn't really want to voice my concern about running into humans.

"We will, Bells, I swear," Jake promised. "Now come on. Don't you want to try out that new speed you've got?"

Unable to help myself, I laughed, despite the whole entire fucked-up situation. "I'd say I'd bet I could beat you, but if I go off after something, I want you to be able to catch me, so I hope you're still faster!"

In my heart, though, I knew if I surprised them and took off, I'd be able to outrun them. Edward had never told me a lot about the mechanics, but I'd seen him and the rest of the Cullens run, I'd seen the wolves run, and I knew from conversations with Emmett and Alice that newborn vampires were even faster than older ones. I had no doubt I'd be faster than Jake and Seth, and that terrified me. Still, I had to trust not only them, but myself, to keep me safe and in check.

So, I did the only thing I could and stood, ready to go find something more to eat—drink? Whatever.

~*~FC~*~

Flying through the trees with my new speed was exhilarating. I'd quickly found myself outrunning both the wolves, but I was able to remember where I was and what was going on enough that I slowed down to match their pace. I wouldn't say I was having fun—being away from Lizzie, possibly forever, kept me from feeling that lighthearted—but my new senses were...freeing, in a way. I could see and smell everything clearly, from the earth, to the trees, to all the bugs and animals, even when I ran. There were so many colors I'd never seen before. The world had suddenly become just so much _more_ than it had been. It was incredible.

Hunting was also a completely odd, yet amazing, experience. Edward had never explained in any detail about it—not wanting to frighten me, I supposed—and I'd never watched any of them do it, so my first few times were interesting...and incredibly messy. After a couple of days, I'd already gone through three different outfits Leah never wore anymore, procured by Seth on one of his trips from the cave to the rez. If I didn't get my hunting under control, I would really owe Leah for ruining all her clothes.

Still, as fun and interesting as it was to discover and enjoy my new skills, every time we returned to the cave, reality set in, and my now-still heart absolutely broke over and over again at the thought of my two-month-old daughter. I cried more non-existent tears over the next couple of days than I'd cried in months, though now, no actual tears fell. I had to keep myself occupied, because having too much time doing nothing just gave me that much more time to think of Lizzie.

I'd become nearly suicidal. One night, while Jake was asleep, ways to kill myself had flown through my head.

~*~FC~*~

_The moon's light cast a shadow of Jake on the wall of the cave as he slept. I couldn't sleep anymore, which would have been fine, except that left me more time than I'd like to do nothing but think. Of Lizzie, of Charlie...of Edward. My heart hurt more now than it ever had before, even more than after that spring break vacation I'd taken last year or that awful day when Edward left._

_How was I supposed to live like this, knowing my daughter was being raised without me? Fortunately, she was too young to remember me, but I would live an eternity—alone—remembering her._

_A thought flickered through my mind. Edward had made a comment that if something happened to me, he wouldn't be far behind me. Maybe that was the solution. Maybe I didn't have to live with the knowledge that I'd left my baby behind._

_Maybe I didn't have to live at all._

_I sat in my misery and pondered my possible demise. Far more difficult, considering I was technically already dead._

_How could I do it, though?_

_Throwing myself down the mountain or out of a tall tree wouldn't work. I'd simply pick myself up again, pick a few leaves out of my hair, and walk away._

_Unlike the vampires in movies or books, the sun didn't hurt me, so I couldn't just walk out into the sunlight and be burned to a crisp._

_If I could get my hands on a lighter, that would do the trick, but somehow, I didn't see myself being able to find one around here. I couldn't take the chance of going to town for one—there was no way I'd be able to avoid humans in town—and neither Jake nor Seth carried one around with them._

_I thought about throwing myself into the ocean, but I didn't have to breathe. Drowning myself wouldn't work, either._

_I could starve myself, but there were two problems with that. One, I didn't know if that would kill me, and two, I didn't think my friends would let me. They would somehow force me to drink if it killed them._

_That thought brought up another, though. If I attacked Jake or Seth, they would be forced to kill me to defend themselves. That seemed like the best idea I'd come up with yet. Unfortunately, that idea died about as quickly as I'd thought it. I couldn't do that to either of them. They would never forgive themselves, and only one of us needed to carry that lifetime of guilt around with them._

_And fuck, if I didn't have enough guilt for the whole pack! I'd been at the meadow for reasons that meant something only to me, and now my daughter, my parents, and even my friends would have to suffer the consequences for it. I hated myself for that more than anything. I could have remembered Edward some other way, but instead, I'd put myself in danger, made myself vulnerable, and now, we were all paying the price._

~*~FC~*~

When Jake had woken a few hours later, he'd noticed my desperation and had promised me that Lizzie would always have a place to go if she needed it and she would always have their protection. I'd broken down when he'd sworn that he wouldn't let her forget me—that he would make sure Lizzie knew how much I'd loved her. He'd even promised to send me pictures of her once I'd settled in somewhere, if I wanted them.

He'd let me sob on his shoulder, even though having me that close to him had clearly made him a little uncomfortable.

I didn't feel any better, but I was trying to keep it to myself so they wouldn't worry. I had a feeling they were waiting for me to just fly out of the cave and take off for La Push or Forks so they would _have_ to kill me.

Jake and Seth were keeping me up-to-date on Charlie's investigation. He was still trying to find me, even though Jake had "found" the note I'd supposedly left on my bed—but which had "apparently fallen to the floor and slid under the crib." The day Seth had come up with that idea, I'd sat down and written the note to Charlie. It had taken three boxes of pencils—my new strength was something I wasn't used to—but I'd finally gotten it all written down. Jake had gone straight over to Charlie's house, telling him he wanted to peek in on Lizzie, and while upstairs, he'd dropped his keys and pretended to find the note when he bent to pick them up.

Charlie hadn't been happy, but it had kept him from calling in the FBI. He'd canceled the search and was simply giving a brief statement to anyone that needed to know that a miscommunication between the two of us had led him to believe I was missing, while he now knew I was simply taking some time for personal reasons.

Renee had told Charlie to let her know when he found out anything, so he'd called her the same day he'd called off the searches.

Lizzie was being well cared for by Sue, who had become my stepmother the year before—as well as becoming a source of strength and a shoulder to lean on while I was pregnant with Lizzie—and even Emily had come to his house to watch her when Sue or my dad couldn't. I'd been gone six days, and they were beginning to really worry because I wasn't answering their phone calls or contacting them myself. Of course, Jake had turned off my cell phone and taken out the battery so it couldn't be traced while I was in the middle of the change. I just knew they'd been trying to call because I heard about it every time Jake or Seth came back from visiting them.

The day before, Jake had left Seth with me and gone back to the rez. He'd taken all of the pack out into the forest and, while in their wolf forms, let them in on the news that I was...well, not alive, but not just in hiding from Victoria, either. Predictably, some of them had apparently been mad that Jake hadn't killed me right off—mainly Paul and Leah—and others were mad he hadn't told them sooner. Most promised to do whatever they could to help Jake and Seth—and by extension, me. Jake didn't tell them where I was, though, just that I was safe and others were safe _from_ me. They'd all accepted that, although Quil and Embry, who I was closest to after Jake and Seth, were still upset that they couldn't see me.

"Ready to go hunting?" Seth asked, walking into the cave. I nodded, so he said, "Give me a minute to shift, and then we'll head out. I think I heard some bigger game a bit north. Feel like taking on a bear?"

I smiled sadly, thinking of Emmett. "Sure, Seth. Thanks."

Thirty minutes later, with the body of a large male black bear now hidden from view, yet still available to scavengers, I was slumped against Seth's side, running my fingers through his sand-colored fur. The fresh blood was humming through my veins, and I was itching to get up and run, but I didn't want to head back to the cave just yet.

So caught up in my thoughts, I didn't hear her until she was standing about fifteen feet from me.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the cause of all my problems," she hissed.

My head snapped up in shock.

_Victoria._

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Alice's POV**

Jasper and I were in the middle of the mall when the vision hit. My knees went weak and my vision blurred, and I vaguely heard Jasper calling my name. I didn't pay attention to any of that, though. Everything in me was focused on the flashes in my head.

Bella was standing in the middle of a small open area, surrounded by trees and boulders. It looked like somewhere around Forks, like many of the places I'd seen while hunting when we'd lived there. She was beautiful—not that she hadn't always been, but now... Her hair was long and full, falling in waves a good three inches below her shoulders. Her lips were a deep red, standing out even more than normal against pale skin—and they matched her eyes, which were a deep red.

But the part that scared me more than the thought of Bella being a vampire was the figure standing behind her, poised to end my sister. I'd have known those bright red curls and that evil, confident smile anywhere.

_Victoria._

"Jazz," I croaked as soon as my vision cleared. I explained the vision in rapid vampire speak so only he could hear me.

By the time I finished, he was already on his phone, typing away.

"Alice," he murmured, holding his phone out to me.

On the screen was a video of Charlie, dated three days before, standing out in front of the police station in Forks. The sound wasn't working, but the headline said it all.

_Isabella Swan Missing_

"We have to get to Forks," I said immediately. "Now!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Bella's POV**

Seth snarled and I growled as we both leapt from our positions and faced the threat in front of us.

Victoria looked much as she did in my hazy memory. Her clothes were dirty and torn, although at one point, they must have been high quality. She didn't bother with the human facade that the Cullens had always been so careful with—her entire being looked feral and pure evil, set off by the long red hair falling in tangled curls down her back.

She was joined by a young blond vampire, about my age, with bright red eyes that widened at the sight of Seth beside me.

"What do you want, Victoria?" I hissed, my anger nearly consuming me. This was the bitch who was responsible for Laurent coming after me. She was the reason I would never be a mother to my little girl.

"You and your furry little friend dead would be nice," she answered, leveling a malicious glare at me. "I've waited two years to get you back for James's death. Riley and I are here to make sure you pay."

"Your mate got himself killed when he took me," I told her. "I had nothing to do with it."

The four of us had begun circling around each other slowly, as if we were sizing up our respective competition. At my words, Victoria halted and stiffened in pure rage.

"You had everything to do it!" she screamed. "If you hadn't been there, he would still be alive!"

Before I could say another word, she flung herself at me with a screech. I was barely able to dive out of the way in time, and she only succeeded in grabbing my sleeve, tearing it from the rest of my shirt at the seam. I whipped around to face her again, crouched and ready to spring at any moment.

The other vampire—Riley—started to edge toward me, but Seth growled and lunged at him. He took off running down the mountain, in the direction of Forks and the reservation.

Seth looked around, first at Victoria and then at me, tilting his head as if in question.

"Go, Seth! Catch him before he reaches town," I ordered, my eyes never leaving the threat in front of me. "I've got this."

Seth launched himself six feet and hit the ground running. I could hear him crashing through the trees, following the vampire.

Victoria laughed. "You really think you stand a chance against me? You're what...less than a week into this life? I've got decades on you, princess. You won't last a minute against me."

Inside, I was terrified that she was right. And even though just a day ago, I'd been trying to think of a way to end my existence, I didn't want it to be at the hands of this psycho. Putting on a brave face, I sneered, "I'm faster and stronger than you are, bitch. Edward was faster and stronger than your mate, and look where that landed him. A big pile of smoking—"

She screamed and came at me with a terrifying cry, obviously not liking my reference to James's demise. Just before she crashed into me, I jumped, grabbing onto the branch above me, and swung over her. I let go and rolled to a clumsy stop, hopping up to see her turn, fire in her eyes.

I knew I had to keep her in front of me. If she got behind me, she could have my head before I could blink. Unfortunately, I wasn't completely sure of what I was doing, so she surprised me by suddenly lunging at me again. We grabbed on to one another as we flew backward through the air, landing on the ground with a loud, booming sound that seemed to echo all around us before finally crashing into a large boulder near the edge of the small area we were in.

I quickly jumped up, intending to move away, and screamed when she kicked my legs out from under me. I fell to my back, and she pounced, landing above me. Just as her hands went to my throat, I used my legs to throw her off me. She flew through the air, landing on the same branch I'd launched myself from only moments before. Scrambling to my feet, I panted heavily for unneeded air.

As we stared one another down, we heard a high-pitched scream in the distance, which cut off abruptly.

"Ohh, poor Victoria," I taunted. "Looks like another friend of yours is gone. Whatever will you do now?" It was stupid to mess with her, I knew, but it seemed like I couldn't help myself.

She jumped from the branch and landed a few feet in front of me. I leapt at her, grabbing her hair at the same time she grabbed mine. I was afraid she was going to rip my head right off my shoulders using my hair alone, so I began using my free hand to punch at her, even as I kicked as best I could. I got in a particularly good shot to her knee, and I heard a crack.

She let go of my hair and screamed. "When I get done with you, your precious Edward will be next," she hissed.

I froze. The thought of Edward being hunted down and killed by this woman—this vampire—scared me. I couldn't move. I wasn't breathing; I wasn't even blinking.

Taking advantage of my fear, she sprang and landed behind me before I could turn around.

With one hand on my chin and the other on my shoulder, she hissed in my ear, "Say hello to James when you—"

Whatever else she was going to say was interrupted when two large wolves shot out from the trees, snatching her away in their powerful jaws.

I whipped around in time to see Seth and Jake pulling her apart. Her legs and arms made horrible, screeching, metallic sounds as they were ripped from her body. Jake clamped his teeth down on her neck, and with one final nails-on-chalkboard sound, her head went flying. Her torso flopped to the ground as Seth and Jake darted into the trees.

I was still standing there in shock when they ran out moments later in their shorts.

Jake looked at Seth. "Take care of her," he said, tilting his chin at the pieces that used to be Victoria. "Bella?" he said cautiously, approaching me slowly. "Are you okay?"

Opening and closing my mouth a few times, I nodded. "I'm, uh, yeah. I'm okay, I think. Are you guys?"

_Holy shit!_

~*~FC~*~

The next day, I sat in the cave, clenching a lock of red curls tight in my fists. I'd pulled it from Victoria's head before we'd burned her so I'd always remember that I'd conquered the one person that had scared me the most since I'd learned about vampires. I planned to keep this lock of hair with me for the rest of my existence as a reminder also of what I didn't want to become.

I was stronger than she had been, but as I sat there waiting for Jake, my arms wrapped around my knees, I'd never felt more weak. He and Seth had been down at the rez and were bringing me back some things to take with me when I left the area.

That thought made my stomach churn. Jake was going to run with me to Canada, and then I was going to continue up to Alaska. I remembered Edward telling me about another family like his—ones who fed off animals—so I knew I could find someplace remote to live until I was able to tolerate being around humans. But the thought of leaving Forks...of leaving my baby...was killing me.

Growing up, I'd never given any thought to being a mother, but now, I couldn't imagine my life without her. Lizzie was the most important part of my life now, and being away from her was killing me. I wanted Charlie to remember me as a good mother. I wanted people to be able to tell _Lizzie_ that I'd been a good mother and I'd loved her. I needed Charlie to know I hadn't forgotten my daughter.

The day before my fight with Victoria, Seth had told Charlie I'd called the house looking for him while Sue was watching Lizzie and Charlie was at work, using the station's resources to track me down. The story was I'd told Seth when he'd answered to please ask Sue to help look after Lizzie until I came back home, that I needed a few extra days away. Seth had told Charlie I hadn't called him directly because I knew he would be able to convince me to come home, and I needed a few more days to be alone before returning. Of course, I hadn't made such a phone call, but I knew the continued communication would help Charlie realize I hadn't just run away for good.

I was still thinking of my daughter and Charlie when Jake and Seth returned.

"Hey, Bells," Jake said as they walked into the cave. He handed me a backpack. "There's some changes of clothes, a couple of maps, some books, and uh, I stopped by Charlie's." Kicking a clod of dirt, he said softly, "I grabbed a few pictures, of you, Charlie, and Lizzie. I thought you might want them."

I dug through the bag as quickly and as carefully as I could, desperate to find the pictures of my daughter. When I reached the books, I felt the edges of a photo sticking out, so I grabbed it and thumbed through the pages until I saw a small stack of pictures.

_Charlie and Sue dressed up in their Sunday finest, with Seth behind them and Leah beside Sue—and me with one hand on the slight bump from my pregnancy and the other holding the small bouquet I'd carried for their wedding_

_Lizzie shortly after she was born, the picture so vivid, I could practically smell her sweet newborn scent_

_Me holding Lizzie a few days after we got home from the hospital—she'd seemed so delicate and fragile, I'd been afraid of hurting her with my clumsiness._

_Lizzie drinking from a bottle only a few days before the meadow_

_Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie_

I broke down in sobs, laying the photos down on the book so I didn't rip them. I felt Jake move the stuff from my lap, and then he sat down beside me and pulled me into his arms.

"Thank you," I said with a shaky breath.

"Sure, sure," he murmured, squeezing me tighter. "Take your time. We'll leave when you're ready."

As I sat there in Jake's arms, I realized there was no way I could leave Forks without seeing my baby girl one last time. I knew I wouldn't be able to physically hold her, but even seeing her through the window would be better than leaving her without seeing her at all.

"Jake?" I started quietly. "Can you take me to see Lizzie?"

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Alice's POV**

Jasper and I had talked it through on the way to the airport. I'd called Esme and told her Jazz and I would be gone for a few weeks and we'd call them later, claiming we were being spontaneous. She'd been suspicious when I'd said we were going to Forks to check on the house there before making our way along the coast and up into Canada. She hadn't pressed, though; she'd just asked us to be careful.

Since that first vision, I'd been scanning for Bella in my head continuously, so it was not a huge shock when, in the car on the way to the airport, I'd been hit with another vision. Bella had been holding a clump of Victoria's distinctive red hair, so it was obvious she'd lived through the fight. That also meant Bella was already a vampire and the fight had already happened.

Sitting in the airplane on the way to Forks, another vision of Bella hit me. She was wearing different clothes, but her eyes were almost the exact same shade of red. There was one major difference, though.

"A baby," I gasped.

"What was that, darlin'?" Jasper asked, looking up from his book.

"Bella has a baby!" Then I frowned. "At least, I'm assuming it's hers. I saw her holding a baby in her room at Charlie's. The décor is the same, except for the crib, and the name Lizzie is spelled out in wooden letters on the wall."

"What about Bella?" Jasper asked quietly. "She, uh..." He motioned from his eyes to mine.

"Still the same red," I murmured, "so it has to be soon."

"Do you think we'll get there before that?"

I shook my head, not sure at all. "I hope so," I told him before closing my eyes and scanning through the future.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: This chapter comes with a warning for a sensitive adult situation and the possible trigger of sexual assault. If you have any concerns, please shoot me a PM before reading._

~*~FC~*~

**Bella's POV**

Jake had agreed—albeit reluctantly—to go with me to Charlie's house to peek at Lizzie through the bedroom window, insisting we wait a few hours till dark. Since it was the just after midnight, I knew she'd most likely be asleep in her crib, and we were less likely to run into any humans out and about. He'd made me swear I would hold my breath so I couldn't smell anyone, and I'd made him promise to shift and rip me to shreds if I even thought about attacking my daughter—or anyone else, for that matter.

As we got close to Charlie's house, Jake and I both stiffened and skidded to a stop. He'd shifted into wolf form to make the run down the mountain, and his hackles were raised as he growled softly. Thanks to my run-in with Victoria and Riley and Jake's time with me, we could smell the scent of vampires—two of them—at the edge of the forest near Charlie's backyard.

"Bella?" a familiar voice called. "Don't be scared. It's just me. Jasper's here, too."

_Alice._

"Alice?" I cried, suddenly anxious to know I'd correctly heard the voice of my old friend.

She stepped out of the shadows, glancing warily at Jake, before looking back at me with a mixture of excitement, guilt, hope, and fear written all over her face. She took a step closer, and Jacob growled.

"Hush, Jake," I hissed in reproach. "It's just Alice. She's not gonna hurt me."

I stepped toward her and opened my arms, and with a blinding smile, she flew at me, throwing her arms around my neck with a squeal of excitement.

"Oh, my God! Bella, you're beautiful! But what happened?" she asked with a gasp, pulling back to look me in the eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't see it happen! I should have looked out for you, but I promised I wouldn't, and I'm so, so sorry!"

I laughed. "Breathe, Ali." I knew it was an odd thing to say to a vampire. Even though I knew it was impossible, she really seemed like she might hyperventilate. I glanced back at the trees, where I could smell Jasper, even though I couldn't see him. "Jasper, you can come out..."

He stepped out from behind the tree and smiled warily. "Hello, Bella." He looked at Jake, who was still on alert, but not quite as defensive. "Who's your friend?"

I looked back at Jake. "Jake, you can shift back now. Play nice, okay?"

As he trotted off around the corner, Alice shook her head. "Jake, as in Jacob Black, from the Quileutes?" When I nodded, she said, "Carlisle told us about them when we...well, when we lived here, but I've never seen one of the wolves before now. Man, he's huge, isn't he?"

"Thanks," Jake said with a smirk as he came around the corner in his cut-offs. "You must be Cullen's—" he grimaced when I threw an elbow into his stomach "—sorry, Edward's brother and sister?" he ended in question with a raised eyebrow in my direction.

I nodded. "Jake, this is Alice and Jasper. Guys, this is Jacob Black. He's the Alpha of the pack from the Quileute reservation and my friend."

Jake and Jasper nodded at one another.

Alice gave him a smile before turning back to me. "We have so much to talk about! But first...who's Lizzie, Bella?" she asked quietly, glancing back at Charlie's house.

My breath caught, hearing the name come from Alice's lips. I looked at Jake and then back at Alice. Jake put his hand on my shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze of support.

"Lizzie's my daughter," I answered with a sigh. As I said the words, I noticed my melancholy tone. _How I missed her!_

Alice nodded, like she'd expected that answer. "And...Jake?"

I shook my head, understanding the unsaid meaning behind her question. "No, Jake and I are just friends. Lizzie's father..." I hesitated. "He's not in the picture."

From her expression, I could tell she knew there was a lot more to the story, but thankfully, she didn't push.

Only a brief, tension-filled moment passed before Jasper asked the other obvious question. "What happened, Bella? When were you changed?"

I bristled defensively, feeling like I had to unfairly explain myself and my current state. I wasn't ready for that—not now...perhaps not ever.

"It's not like I asked for this! Not now. Not when it means I have to leave my daughter!" I felt a wave of calm rush over me and glared at him. "Quit that!"

Alice laughed, attempting lightness. "It can be kind of annoying, can't it?"

"Sorry," Jasper said, immediately pulling back his push of emotions. "And I meant no offense. I know whatever happened wasn't your fault. Alice saw you fighting with the redhead, and then we saw the press conference Charlie gave, so we knew you'd gone missing."

Sighing, I nodded. "It's a long story. You actually just caught me. I was coming to see Lizzie one last time before I..." I looked down at my feet, feeling my eyes sting with venomous tears. "Before I leave for good."

Alice laid a hand gently on my arm. "Bella, I don't know what it means, but I had a vision on the plane on the way here," she said softly. "In it, you were holding the baby."

I shook my head. "Well, yeah, I've held her plenty."

"No, Bella," she said insistently. "You were a vampire, and you were sitting in the rocking chair in the corner, rocking her."

I stumbled back a few feet in shock, until my back hit the trunk of a large tree. Sliding down to the ground, I pulled my knees up, wrapping my arms around them. Could I hope? Could I open my heart up that way, only to have it crushed irreparably?

I didn't realize I was shaking until Alice dropped down beside me and put her hand on my arm, stilling my movement.

"Whatever it means, you'll get through it." She smiled with just the right amount of compassion. "_We'll_ get through it."

We were all quiet then as I continued to process the revelation that somehow, maybe I'd be able to hold my daughter again. There was so much I wanted to ask her—about Lizzie and me, about her and the rest of the Cullens...about Edward, but I couldn't do that here, where Charlie or anyone could see us.

"Jake, can you guys help me check on Lizzie, and then maybe we can all go..." I broke off, not sure where we could all go, aside from back up to the damned cave I'd been in for a week.

"Bella, if you'd like, you and Jacob are welcome to come to our house," Alice said quietly, looking over at Jasper, who nodded.

I looked up at Jake, who shrugged. "Sure, Alice, that would be good. Thanks."

She beamed and jumped up, holding her hand to me. "Come on. I want to get a peek at her. And I promise, I won't let you do anything you'll regret."

I swallowed and stood, taking her hand. Jake walked on my other side, and Jasper stayed close behind us as we made our way silently through the backyard and around to the large tree at the side of the house near my window. Jake and Alice jumped up first, and then, holding my breath, I scaled the tree behind them. Jasper followed me, keeping one hand on my shoulder as we climbed out as far as we could.

I could just barely see around the edge of the crib, but there, under the blanket, her little face lit up by the nightlight and the light coming in the window from the moon, was my angel. She was lying on her back, lips pursed and arms flung to the sides. Her pacifier had fallen out and was resting beside her head as she slept. She was wearing one of my favorite outfits—a soft, white onesie with vintage-looking roses and little light pink bows.

"She's beautiful," whispered Alice with breathless wonder.

I nodded. Forgetting that I was supposed to be holding my breath, I said, "She's a good baby. She's almost exactly two months old."

We were all quiet for a few minutes as we watched her sleep. When she began to stir, I had to hold myself back from climbing inside.

I was so caught up in watching and listening to Lizzie as she woke up with a cry, I was startled when Charlie opened the door to the room and moved quietly over to the crib.

We could hear him talking to her, asking if she was hungry or if she needed a new diaper. When he picked her up and carried her out the door, I'd finally had enough.

Being this close to my daughter without being able to hold her or kiss her made the hole in my chest from Edward's leaving gape wide open. The thought that this might be the last time I ever saw her was just too much, overwhelming me with the intensity of my grief, fear, and anger at the circumstances that had brought me here.

I jumped to the ground and took off, needing to be away from the house. I thought about heading back up the mountain, but my feet seemed to have a mind of their own, and I turned, moving in the opposite direction.

When I skidded to a stop in front of the gorgeous, three-story house where the Cullens had lived, Alice, Jasper, and Jake—in his wolf form—were only moments behind me. Without a word, I climbed the few steps to the door and then waited while Alice came up with a key.

She opened the door and stood aside, motioning for me to enter.

I walked in, and it was like no time had passed—aside from sheets covering the piano and all the furniture, of course. I still had the same feeling of awe as I looked around, and when I closed my eyes, I could still imagine Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, and...Edward, all sitting around in the living room or going up and down the large staircase.

With a sigh, I walked into the living room, pulled a sheet off the couch, and sat, patting the seat beside me when Alice hesitated. She moved gracefully over and sat beside me, drawing her legs up under her, while Jake and Jasper moved farther into the room, removing sheets and taking seats on the chairs opposite the sofa.

"I know we have a lot to talk about," I said, looking over at Alice. "Where do you want to start?"

She looked down at her hands and then up to me. "Lizzie?"

Crossing my arms over my stomach, as if to hold myself together, I took a deep breath before whispering, "I was raped."

"Bella!" Alice gasped, one hand over her mouth and the other clenched in a fist in her lap.

I shook my head. "Let me talk. If I start, I need to say it all, or I won't be able to get through it."

"Okay," she agreed, twisting her fingers together.

She was as quiet as I'd ever seen her as I began telling my story, which ended with me shaking my head at the whole mess and explaining, "He's serving eight years in prison down in Jacksonville."

"And you got Lizzie out of the deal. Why did you decide to keep her?" Alice asked softly.

I growled at the question, and she raised her hands in a surrendering gesture.

"Bella, I wasn't judging you, I promise. A lot of women in your position wouldn't have. That's the only reason I asked," she explained.

Shrugging, I answered, "It wasn't the baby's fault I'd been raped. I thought about adoption, unsure I'd be able to look at it without just seeing him."

Internally, I shuddered, thinking of those first horrible days when fear far outweighed joy. It hadn't been an easy time in my life—I'd felt so alone—but I was proud of myself for moving on...and for seeing Lizzie for what she was.

"But the minute I looked into her eyes, she was mine, not his. It didn't matter who had fathered her or how. She was _my_ daughter."

_Mine. My baby..._

Overwhelming emotion crashed over me, and my voice broke. "Now, I'll n-never s-see her a-again, and it's my fault."

Without a word, Jake moved from his chair and slid in behind me on the couch, cradling me in his lap as I sobbed.

"Bella," Jasper started from the seat across from Alice. "When you saw Lizzie tonight, and then when Charlie came into the room, you weren't holding your breath, were you? I know you were going to, but you started talking, and I don't think you stopped breathing again. Am I wrong?"

I shook my head. "Why?"

"What did you smell?" he pressed.

"Umm, blood?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him, wondering why he was asking stupid questions.

"Darlin', we didn't have to hold you back, even though you were that close to warm—human, no less—blood."

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Luckily, Jake didn't have that same problem.

"So what does that mean?" he asked, tightening his hold around me.

"It means," Jasper drawled, "that the vision Alice had of you rocking Lizzie—after your change—might be true."

"You mean, I...Lizzie?" I stammered, looking to Alice.

Hope began to bloom inside me. My chest twinged as the hole that was ripping me apart started to slowly knit together at the possiblity of Alice's vision becoming fact, rather than conjecture.

She nodded. "You may not have to leave your family."


	6. Chapter 6

**March 12, 2007  
><strong>Edward's POV<strong>  
><strong>

By midnight, I was crossing the border between Pennsylvania and New York. Only another few minutes, and I'd be on the outskirts of Buffalo, where I planned to stop and spend at least the next twenty-four hours. I'd done the same thing this time last year—although I'd holed up in Chicago then. While my perfect memory allowed me to recall each instant since my change, the twelfth day of March was much more than a recollection. It was the day I'd taken Bella to what I now thought of as our meadow. The day I'd had my first kiss—as a human or a vampire. The day I'd completely given my long-dead heart to a fragile, human girl.

It had been one year, five months, twenty-three days, and eight hours since I'd left my Bella. For one year, five months, twenty-three days, and eight hours, I'd been a shell of the "man" I once was. I hunted only when I had to, I only spoke with my family once a week, when I called to check in with Carlisle, and I hadn't touched the keys of a piano in all that time. Although I'd had the best of intentions, leaving my Bella had broken me even more than I'd thought possible, and knowing she was getting the chance to live a normal, human life was the only thing that kept me going.

Finding an abandoned warehouse downtown, I snapped the lock with a flick of my fingers and was inside before anyone could see me. I made my way back in the dark, with only the light from the moon shining through the windows to guide me—although if I'd needed the help to see, it wouldn't have been much help. Finding the darkest corner of the big cement and metal building, I sank to my knees amongst the piles of old, rotting pallets, tables turned on their sides, and empty file cabinets with their drawers standing open. There, in the quiet darkness, I began to sob.

I cried for lost love, for the curse of immortality without my mate. I cried for the pain I was causing Carlisle and Esme by staying away from the family for so long. And I cried for the loneliness I felt. I'd been alone for eighty-seven years before meeting Bella, but never once in that nearly a century had I felt as alone as I had the last year and a half.

Venom stung my eyes as I cried tearless sobs, shudders racking my frame as I let every bit of grief flow through me. I knew I'd done the right thing, leaving Bella to her human life, but it had been the hardest thing I'd ever had to do. My existence had been forever changed when I met her. There were times when I wished I didn't feel the pain I was feeling, but that would mean I'd never have met Bella, and that was the one thing I would never change, no matter how much it had hurt to leave or how hard it was to stay away.

I spent the day holed up in the empty building, the rats my only company. For some odd reason, they seemed to be the only living thing not scared of vampires. In fact, they reminded me of my Bella. Not the disease-infested bodies or the beady eyes, of course, but the determination to investigate the strange being in their midst. They crawled all over my feet and legs until I gently brushed them away. Not even a low growl kept them from coming back every time.

While I sat, hidden from the sunny day, I thought back over the past year, five months, and now twenty-four days.

I'd tried staying with the family at first. Convincing them to leave Forks immediately had been both easy and difficult. Alice, of course, had put up the most resistance. She'd started throwing visions my way, of Bella with red eyes, running through the forest at the speed of only the supernatural. I'd finally growled and nearly attacked her in my frustration. Only Emmett's strong arms and Carlisle's stern words had kept me from leaping at her. Jasper had been upset I'd nearly attacked his wife, but he couldn't really complain too much—not after my Bella's ill-fated birthday party. Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme had all been upset about leaving, but they hadn't complained aloud. Their thoughts had been sad, but kind, promising me they would be there to support me. Rose, of course, had been mad we were leaving, but her venomous thoughts about being glad to be away from the "stupid human girl" had been easy to ignore.

We had all—with the exception of Carlisle—needed a break from pretending to be human, so we'd moved to Alaska and spent time with the group there. It had only taken a few weeks of Tanya's suggestive thoughts and even overt flirtations before I was ready to go out on my own. I might have been able to ignore her, like I'd done for decades, but being around all the happily mated pairs in my family, as well as Carmen and Eleazar, had proven too much. I hadn't been able to get away from the noise in my head, and it had finally become too much. I'd said my goodbyes and headed south, alone.

The family had spent nearly a year in Alaska before Carlisle had learned of an open position for an ER doctor in the town of Billings, Montana. They'd moved in time for the others to start school at Skyview High. Carlisle had asked if I would move with them and attend, but I'd been in no frame of mind to go back to school and pretend. Instead, while they'd moved to Montana, I'd gone east to Rochester in order to check on the house the family owned there.

I called and checked in once a week, reassuring Carlisle and Esme I was still...alive...and well. They never stopped trying to convince me to come home, but my heart was with my Bella, and I knew I wasn't ready to be around all the loving couples in my family.

What I didn't tell them—what I was almost afraid to admit to myself—was that I might never be ready.

~*~FC~*~

I ended up spending five days outside Buffalo—most of that time holed up in the warehouse. Since leaving my Bella, I'd felt restless. I was unable to stay in one place for long, unwilling to start making new memories. It was ridiculous to think that any new memories I made would replace the ones of the almost nine months I'd known my Bella. I was a vampire, after all. I had perfect recall. But staying too long in one place felt...wrong. After too long in one place, I felt like I was crawling out of my skin. Carlisle had several theories, but all I knew was that I hadn't felt settled since leaving Forks.

Under cover of darkness, I ran through the wilderness of Canada, stopping first in Toronto. Carlisle and Esme owned a small—by Cullen standards—cabin on the outskirts of the city, and I'd promised to stop in and make sure everything was secure if I got up that way. I didn't have any particular destination in mind. I simply needed to be alone.

Just after midnight on the eighteenth, I realized I needed to reach Vancouver as quickly as possible. I was suddenly feeling anxious, although I didn't know why, and needed to be near my Bella. Vancouver was as close as I would allow myself to get. Any closer and I would be too tempted to check on her. Even Vancouver was pushing it. I knew I'd only be an hour and a half from my mate, and every instinct in my body would be pushing me to make that short trip until she was in my arms.

Around nine in the morning, I stopped somewhere in Saskatchewan, planning to call Carlisle before catching some of the caribou and wolves I could hear and smell in the distance.

"Hello?" Esme said when she picked up the phone. Her sweet voice, normally so strong, was hesitant.

"What's wrong?" I asked immediately.

"N-Nothing," she answered. "Everything's fine. How are you, sweet—"

"Esme," I growled, trying to rein in my temper. "Is everyone okay?"

"It's..." She sighed softly. "Alice and Jasper aren't home."

"Did something happen? Did one of them slip? Did they go to Alaska?"

She paused before saying, "No, nothing like that. They said they were going to travel a bit. Asked us to withdraw them from school."

I knew that wasn't the entire story. Just that wouldn't have her sounding so unsure.

"And?" I prompted. "Where did they go?"

Before she could respond, it hit me. The one place she would be worried about telling me. The one place they knew I did _not_ want them going.

_Forks._

I felt my phone crumble in my tightened fist as I cursed—knowing I'd need to apologize to Esme later for ending our conversation without a goodbye—and threw the pieces down to the forest floor. All thoughts of hunting fled. Instead, my mind was filled with a red haze, and I ran at the first tree I could find, shattering it to splinters with the force of my anger.

"Why the fuck did they go to Forks?" I growled aloud, knocking over another pine tree. I'd expressly forbidden them—Alice, especially—from having any further contact with Bella. I knew if she had any contact with any of us, it would be that much harder for her to forget us and move on.

I took off running in the direction of Forks, knowing I would need to stop to pick up a new phone as soon as I hit another town. I needed to stop Alice from seeing Bella. She had moved on with her life by now, I was sure, and if Alice visited, she would once again be dragged into this dark, dangerous world of the supernatural.

As soon as I hit a city big enough, I stopped at the first store that sold cell phones. I quickly chose a prepaid smartphone and took it to the counter. The cashier was clearly flustered as I brushed aside her offer to help activate it and tossed money onto the counter, ignoring her offer of change as I ran at a human pace out of the store.

Immediately after hitting the edge of town and the forest, I activated the phone and dialed Alice's number, only to reach her voice mail.

"Alice!" I hissed. "Answer your damn phone. You know it's me calling. What the hell are you doing in Forks? Leave her alone. Let her have her human life without us, all right?" I sighed. "Call me," I finally said before flipping the phone closed and sliding it into my pocket.

I would try again in a few minutes, and again a few minutes after that, until she finally decided to answer my call.

I had no idea why, after being gone so long, she would decide to visit Forks. There had to be a good reason—one Esme either didn't know or was hesitant to tell me. Was something wrong with Bella? Her father?

I called Alice again as I ran, nearly screaming in frustration when she still didn't pick up. I was really getting anxious and knew I needed to find out more information. I thought about calling Carlisle, but I didn't want to involve any of the rest of the family unless I had to.

Three hours later, I had an idea of how I might be able to find out more without calling my family. Skidding to a stop just outside Calgary, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and opened the Internet browser, going immediately to the web site for the local TV station in Forks. I scanned over all the news on the front page of the site, and on the sidebar was the headline:

_Local Girl Missing; Father's Plea for Her Return_

If my heart had been beating, that would have stopped it cold. I clicked on the link, barely holding back my strength so I didn't put my finger right through the screen.

Dated from a few days before, a video of Charlie Swan, standing outside the police station, came on screen. His face looked grave, and his skin was an ashy gray.

When he spoke, his tone was factual, with an underlying brokenness and fear. "My daughter, nineteen-year-old Isabella Swan, has been missing for two days. She was last seen leaving home at one o'clock Monday afternoon."

I clicked off, unable to listen to more, and then dialed Alice's number again. It still went straight to voice mail. I continued to call her every few minutes, fuming to myself that she wouldn't pick up, until I reached Vancouver. I thought about heading to Forks myself, but I knew if I did, I wouldn't be able to leave again. I was sure Bella was fine and back home now. She'd probably stayed out with friends—or...a boyfriend, I thought as I cringed—and had forgotten to tell Charlie.

When I got to Vancouver, I checked into a cheap, nondescript motel on the edge of the city. I needed a place indoors to wait until I heard from Alice, because the weather forecast on my phone showed a few days of sunny skies. It was mid-afternoon, and I'd had to hide several times on my run into town because of the sun. Waiting outdoors wasn't nearly as safe as hiding out in a motel room, away from the sun and prying eyes.

If I didn't hear from Alice in the next twenty-four hours, I would steel my resolve and go straight to our house in Forks to find her myself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Edward's POV**

I'd been in Vancouver for just under thirty-six hours when I couldn't stand it any longer. I'd been calling Alice relentlessly, almost blowing up her phone line trying to reach her. Jasper wasn't picking up his phone, either, and none of the other members of our family would tell me anything. Rose and Emmett honestly didn't know anything, aside from whatever they'd gleaned from hearing Carlisle and Esme—who both no doubt knew something they refused to tell me. Icy tingles of dread ran down my back; I was very worried something had happened to Bella and they weren't telling me because they were afraid of my reaction.

I finally left the motel in the middle of the night, dropping my key off at the front office on my way out. It was going to take me about an hour and a half to run from where I was to Forks, although with as anxious as I was, I didn't doubt that I could push that to an hour, tops. There was little to no traffic, and I was able to stick to alleys and deserted side streets until I got out of town.

Before leaving the motel, I'd debated taking the more direct route and swimming from the Canadian coast to Washington. However, running from Vancouver to Seattle, to Olympia, and then north to Forks wasn't going to take that much longer than swimming, and I needed the time to clear my head and think. So as I crossed the border into the U.S., my mind began wandering.

_Where was my Bella?_

_Why wasn't Alice answering her phone?_

_Did she know something bad and just didn't want to tell me?_

I'd tried so hard to allow my Bella to live a normal, human life, rather than curse her to this long, hard, lonely existence. What if I'd been wrong? What if, by leaving her, I'd condemned her to a shorter, unfulfilled life somehow?

As my thoughts turned dark, I nearly felt human again. My breathing became labored. My speed faltered, and I nearly found myself tripping over my own two feet several times. If something had happened to my Bella, I didn't know what I would do. Over the last year and a half, the only thing that had kept me going sometimes was knowing she was alive and well. If that had changed...

Just over an hour after I'd left Vancouver, I passed the "Welcome to Forks" sign. I ran even faster, determination and fear fueling my speed. I cut through the forest, paying no attention to the sights, smells, and sounds around me as I raced to get to our family's home on the other side of town.

About a mile and a half away from the house, I began hearing Alice's voice in my head, conjugating French verbs.

Was she waiting for me to get there to give me bad news? Was it so awful that she didn't want me to read it in her thoughts? My stomach churned, and I faltered on my next step when I thought, _Oh, God, what if my Bella's dead?_ I'd have to figure out a way to end my own existence if that were true. Maybe I could pay a visit to the Volturi, like I'd mentioned to Bella months be—

_Oh, for God's sake, Edward,_ Alice huffed in her head. _Just stop with the melodramatics already!_

Before I could garner anything more, she was back to, _Parle, je parle, tu parles, il parle, nous parlons, vous parlez, ils parlent_... I tuned her out, knowing I'd get nothing more until she was ready.

Just under a minute later, I skidded to a stop at the end of the driveway in front of my sister, who was standing there with her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face.

"Alice," I greeted shortly. "Why haven't you been answering your phone?" When she didn't answer, I opened my mouth to ask her what the hell she was doing in Forks and what was going on with Bella, but she held her hand up, stopping me from speaking.

"Edward, I know you have questions—"

I hissed in response.

"—but first, I want you to take a good sniff and tell me what you smell."

I rolled my eyes, but did as she'd instructed. "Jasper. A second vampire," I said shortly. "Who is it?" My hands clenched into fists, fighting the instinct to find the intruder on our territory.

Alice shook her head. "Again," she instructed.

With another deep whiff, I caught a stench I hadn't smelled in seventy years—the wolves were back?—but below that, there was the scent of...freesia and strawberry. My Bella had been here! Instantly, I panicked. Did the new vampire have her? Had she been killed by whatever nomad had come through here? Or by one of the wolves? I'd kill them! Whoever had touched her would pay!

"What happened?" I growled, stopping just short of attacking her.

She smiled sadly and looped her arm through mine. "If you can control yourself, we'll go inside and I'll try to explain everything."

"Bella?" I croaked.

"Bella's...fine," she sighed. "Just give me a minute to explain."

Once we'd made it inside, the smells of Bella, the wolf, vampire, and Jasper were heavy in the air. I tried reading Alice's thoughts, but she was still effectively hiding them. I stood by the fireplace, muscles tight, as I waited for Alice to spill whatever she was keeping from me.

"There's no good way to say this," she finally said. "Before I tell you anything, you _must_ promise me to listen before you go running off. Things...won't turn out well for you if you leave without hearing everything first." When I didn't respond, she cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Fine," I said in resignation. "Just tell me, Alice. Is Bella okay?"

"Bella's a vampire, Edward," she stated bluntly. "She was changed a week ago."

As soon as my relief that Bella wasn't dead had passed, I leapt at my sister, grabbing her arms and shaking her. "Who was it, Alice?" I hissed. "Was it you...or Jasper? Is that why you came here?"

Instead of fighting me, Alice finally opened her thoughts some, allowing me to see the memories of her conversation with Bella and the story of Laurent and the meadow.

I swallowed back the urge I had to pound my fist through the wall, letting go of her. "Sorry," I said before collapsing onto the sofa. "That was...the twelfth?"

Alice nodded. "She didn't tell me why she was out in the woods; all she said was that it was personal."

I cursed under my breath. The significance of the spot would be lost on many, but never on Bella or myself. I knew exactly why Bella had gone to the woods.

"Where is she?" I asked, feeling strangely sick to my stomach. I'd tried to protect her—from my fate, from myself—yet, it had all been in vain. I'd still managed to be the one who had destroyed her humanity.

"She's out hunting with Jazz and Jacob," Alice answered. Before I could voice my next question, she nodded. "Jacob Black, Alpha of the shape shifter tribe in La Push. Apparently, he and Bella are friends. He and the wolves saved her from Laurent—" She paused at my scoff. "Okay, fine. They stopped him from draining her. Jacob and Seth Clearwater, his second-in-command, helped care for her during her change and once she woke up. They helped her hunt, informed the rest of the pack of her condition, and have been keeping Charlie from calling in the FBI."

I started toward the door. Excitement, worry, remorse, and longing warred in my mind, each with equal footing. I wanted to see Bella; I _needed_ to see her—

"Wait, Edward!" she called, her tone urgent enough that I stopped in my tracks. "There's more."

That feeling of dread crawled over me again like maggots over rotting flesh. I didn't want to hear any more; I just wanted to see Bella. Yet, like a car wreck, I couldn't keep from turning back, from seeing what had happened.

Bittery irony... I'd run for an hour, wanting nothing more than knowledge, and now, I would fight tooth and nail against it if I could.

Alice flashed on a memory of the four of them—Bella, Jacob, Jasper, and herself—in the tree outside her bedroom window at Charlie's. I watched as they looked in on a baby in a crib in the room I'd been in a year and a half before, and then watched as Charlie walked into the room to pick up the now-crying infant. When he left the room, Alice began thinking of other things, effectively closing her mind to me.

My mind stirred with profane thoughts...of Bella in another man's embrace, making love, becoming pregnant, giving birth. All the things I had hoped for her when I'd left. A wash of fire-hot jealousy and despair filled me, and I wanted to rage at Alice, at anyone. At some point, I would have to deal with the probability that Bella had given birth and most likely had a man—Jacob Black, perhaps?—in her life. But for now...

"Fuck, Alice!" I hissed, striking out verbally, unable to control my roiling emotions. "Do you _know_ how reckless that was? That was so irresponsible of you to let her get that close to them! Do you know how much it would have wrecked her had she been unable to resist—" and I wasn't sure how she'd been able to, but that would have to be addressed later as well "—going in and killing them?"

I was so caught up in my anger, my fear, and my worry over Bella that I didn't hear the noise at the entrance to the living room until she spoke.

"You always did underestimate me, Edward Cullen."


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Remember the detail of Bella being raped? Yeah, all the details for that are in this chapter, so if you are concerned at all about it, shoot me a message and I'll try and tell you what you can expect. There are no details of the rape itself, just of what came before and after, but if you're worried, I'd much rather you send me a PM than take a chance or skip it without asking for more details. Thank you. :)_

~*~FC~*~

**Bella's POV**

I shook my head as I said the first thing to Edward in eighteen months.

"Bella," he breathed, looking up at me. The worried, haggard expression he wore pulled on my non-beating heart. "I'm so, so sorry. Oh, God, I'm sorry. I thought I was doing what was best. I thought I was protecting you. I was wrong."

As if it were possible, he looked so much older, so much more world-worn and weary than he had when I saw him last. His clothes were dirty and torn—I presumed from his travel to get here—and his hair was mussed, yet he was still the most handsome man I had ever seen.

As he continued to apologize, Jake touched me on the shoulder and smiled, motioning with his head that he would be outside. I nodded and then focused my attention back on Edward, even as I watched Alice and Jasper follow Jake out.

I was still across the room from Edward, but everything in me was pushing me to go to him. It had been like that before—when I was human and he was still in Forks. I'd been drawn to him like a moth to a flame. When I couldn't fight the pull anymore, I crossed the room and wrapped him in my arms, squeezing tightly.

"Gentle, Isabella," he reminded with a groan.

I gasped, loosened my hold slightly, and then sighed as his arms tightened around me, holding me to him for a moment.

Before I could get too comfortable, he stepped away and looked down. Everything about him—his stance, his expression, even his breathing patterns—spoke of nerves and regret. "I'm sorry. That was inappropriate of me. I know you, uh... I know you have someone in your life now, and I left, so I don't get to hug you anymore. I was just so glad you were okay. Well, not that you were okay, but you aren't dead. Fuck, Bella! I didn't know! I swear, I didn't—"

I couldn't stand it any longer, watching him beat and berate himself. I sank down onto the sofa and pulled him down with me. "Shh, Edward. Stop, please."

Edward bent at the waist, dropping his head to his hands. "Bella, it's my fault. If I hadn't left you... I swear, I thought I was doing the right thing. I wanted to protect you, even at the cost of hurting myself. I thought you would forget me and move on—which you did—but by leaving, I put you in danger anyway."

I said the only four words I could at that moment.

"Edward, I forgive you."

And I did. I understood now why he'd left. For a long time, I'd hurt inside, thinking he didn't love me, that what he'd said was true. Then, last spring, everything had changed.

When I looked over at him, he'd tilted his head, and he was gaping at me.

"Forgive me?" he echoed loudly, sitting up straight. "Bella, it's my fault!"

I gave a soft sigh, trying to wrap my words around my thinking so I could explain what I had come to realize. "As hard as it may be for you to get, I understand now. I do. I don't like that you left me—and it still really hurts that you did it the way you did—but I understand why you felt like you had to."

"Bella," he groaned, digging his fingers into the cushion beside his leg.

"When I became a mother—" his eyes darted up to meet mine, and I half-grimaced, half-smiled "—I finally completely understood. I would do anything to protect my daughter and Charlie right now. If you loved me half as much as I love them, I know you'd have done the same for me."

"Love!" he all but bellowed. "Not loved. Love." Then he shook his head. "But it doesn't matter anymore, I know. You've moved on, and regardless of whether or not you have to leave..."

I knew then that I had to explain about Lizzie. He had to know I'd truly forgiven him and that as much as he'd hurt me, I did understand and I'd never moved on. To understand that, he had to hear the whole story.

"Edward, please. I need you to listen, okay? I need to tell you the story of my daughter."

At his nod, I clenched my fingers together in my lap, took a deep breath, and began to explain what I'd only admitted once—to Alice and Jasper—since right after it happened.

"Spring break of my senior year, Jessica, Angela, and I went to Jacksonville to visit my mom."

~*~FC~*~

"_Woohoo!" Jessica cheered as we exited the airport. "I can't wait to change into my new bikini and get to the beach!"_

_I laughed. Jess had been talking non-stop about the new clothes she'd bought for our trip—especially the black and silver bikini._

"_Mom lives right on the beach, don't you?" I asked my mother, looping my arm through hers._

_Renee grinned and nodded at Jessica. "You'll love it. Plenty of sand, water, and—" she waggled her eyebrows "—plenty of cute boys."_

_Rolling my eyes, I tugged her along to her car. "Come on, let's hit the road."_

_Guys were the last thing on my mind. My heart still—always—belonged to Edward._

_~*~FC~*~_

"So the first thing we did after we unpacked was hit the beach. My mom was right. There were plenty of cute boys," I told Edward with a sigh. "Cute enough, anyway."

The look I gave him must have given him a clue as to what I really meant—that none of them had even begun to compare to him. He chuckled wryly, shaking his head.

~*~FC~*~

"_Look at that one," Angela whispered, pointing down the beach to a guy getting ready to head into the water with a surf board._

"_Ang!" I laughed. "You're as bad as Jess." I looked over at our friend, who was currently chatting up a tall, blond guy._

"_What? Just because I'm dating Ben, it doesn't mean I can't look," she retorted with a grin._

_I'd just turned my attention back to my book, when Jess walked up and nudged me with her foot._

"_This is Kyle," she said, introducing me to the guy she was currently latched onto. When two more guys walked up, carrying a frisbee, she smiled. "These are his friends, Ashton and Hunter. Guys, Bella and Angela."_

~*~FC~*~

"They seemed fun," I said with a shrug. "They were in their first year of college, down from the University of Alabama. We hung out all afternoon at the beach and then again the next day for most of the afternoon. That evening, they asked us to go to a club with them. My mom and Phil were going out that night to the movies, so we decided to go dancing. We had fun, but I was ready to be home before eleven, so we didn't stay too late.

"The next day, we went with my mom and Phil to Disney World, so we didn't spend time with them. Jess called Kyle the next morning, though, and we met them at the beach after lunch. I wasn't really happy about it, but they were having a good time, so I just kind of went along with everything. Hunter seemed like a decent enough guy; I just hadn't really been interested in any guys since, well..."

"Me," Edward said with a frown.

I nodded. "Anyway, we spent the next few days with them, going out to the clubs and bars at night, using our fake IDs to drink." At Edward's look, I snorted. "I never got drunk or anything. Mostly, I did a shot when we got there and then nursed a couple of beers each night.

"Then, our last night there, we went out again. Jess was really into Kyle—she and Mike had broken up, so she was single and loving it—and Angela was having fun just being relaxed. She didn't relax very often at home, between helping to take care of her brothers and trying to keep her grades up so she could get a good scholarship. I wanted her to have every chance she could get to just have fun, so when they convinced me to let loose a little more, I couldn't say no."

~*~FC~*~

"_Come on, Bella!" Jess shouted over the music. "Have another drink!"_

"_I'm gonna dance, Bella," Angela said from beside me. "Jess is right! Have another drink. Relax!"_

_I finally shrugged and looked up at Hunter. "Okay, a Long Island Iced Tea," I said, laughing when Angela cheered as she walked out to the dance floor with Ashton._

_Twenty minutes later, I was more than pleasantly buzzed. Hunter had tried to drag me out to the dance floor, but I'd refused, so we'd hung out at the bar, watching our friends. He'd then bought us each a shot, saying it would be rude of me to refuse after he'd spent the money. I didn't want to be rude, so I'd drunk the Orgasm he'd given me. Now, I was kind of dancing on my seat—swaying was more like it—as I watched Ang and Jess having fun._

"_Hey, Bella," Hunter said in my ear. "My friend's having a party. How about we go check it out? Less people, so it won't be nearly as crowded. Maybe you'll feel like dancing there."_

_That sounded fun, and I told him so. "S-Sure! Lemme tell m'friends, 'kay?" I looked back out to the dance floor._

"_Don't worry. Kyle and Ash'll tell 'em." He caught their eyes, and I saw them nod at him._

"'_Kay," I said, nodding._

~*~FC~*~

Much like I had when I'd told Alice the story, I wrapped my arms around my waist, trying to stay strong, knowing I was getting to the hardest part of the story. "I learned later that he'd slipped half a dose of Rohypnol in the Orgasm he'd bought me, so when he said he needed to stop at his hotel room before going to the party, I didn't think anything about it."

Edward's hands were fisted so tightly, I was afraid he would break every one of his fingers. He knew what was coming, and I could tell he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it.

"He offered me another drink, saying he just needed to grab a few things, so I might as well be comfortable. I took at seat on the bed and drank the small bottle of tequila from the minibar. I tried sipping it at first, but I remember thinking it was simply awful, so I just chugged the rest."

I stopped talking when Edward stood and began to pace. His hands went to his hair began tugging. Taking a deep breath, I continued.

"The next thing I remember is waking up the next morning, naked, and alone in the hotel room. His things were gone, and there was a note on the dresser with my clothes. _Thanks for the good time._ Like we'd just had sex, instead of him raping me."

Edward let out a roar of pain and anger and then bent down and grabbed the edge of the coffee table, flipping it and sending it crashing into the wall. As he stood there, panting heavily, I finished the sordid story.

"I called Charlie. He told me to call the police, to cover myself, but not to wash or do anything that could compromise the evidence. He called Renee, who'd begun to get worried. My friends had been told I'd said I'd be home early the next morning, and Renee didn't know until she got up that I hadn't come back with Angela and Jessica.

"Long story short... Hunter Ellison had used his own name and credit card to rent the room. He also hadn't used a condom. I refused the morning after pill—I was on the pill to regulate my cycle, so I figured I didn't need it—and had a rape kit done at the hospital. They did a blood test and confirmed that I'd been drugged. All of that, combined with the note he'd left, secured a guilty verdict when charges were brought against him. He's serving nine years in prison down in Lake City, Florida."

Edward had frozen when I'd mentioned the guy's name, but now, he grabbed the armchair in front of the fireplace and threw it as hard as he could. The front window shattered as the chair flew through it and out into the trees, sending glass flying everywhere. He whipped around and hit the wall with his fist, leaving a dent in the plaster. His frame was rigid, his breathing ragged, as he dropped his forehead to the wall beside his hand.

I walked up to him slowly, afraid of startling him, and pressed my body against his back. While sliding one arm around his waist, I put my other hand on his closed fist on the wall and willed him to relax.

"_I_ did that," he raged quietly. "By thinking I was giving you the life you deserved—away from vampires who wanted to kill you, a boyfriend who wanted to drink away your life's blood and could crush your skull with a flick of his fingers—I abandoned you and left you to be hurt and taken advantage of, and you've still been cursed with this undead life of immorta

I started to speak, but then, in a flash, he was turned around in front of me, on his knees. "How can you ever forgive me, Bella? I swear to you, whatever you ask, I'll do. If you want me to leave, I will," he said matter-of-factly.

Shaking my head, I pulled him up to me. "Edward, when I was six months pregnant, I found the things you left for me under the floorboard. I figured out then that you'd lied when you said—"

He nodded sadly, interrupting me. "I did lie, Bella. I'm not proud of it. I thought I was do—"

"I know," I promised. "Like I said, I realized then that you'd lied because you honestly wanted me to forget you." As if that had been a remote possibility. "But until I woke up the other day after Laurent's attack and I realized that to keep Lizzie safe, I would have to leave her, I didn't truly get it. I mean, I understood, but now... Now, there's nothing to forgive. I see how hard it must have been for you to be around m..."

My words died off when I saw his face. "What?" I asked, wondering why he looked like he'd been stunned speechless.

"Lizzie?" he breathed.

Nodding, I said, "Elizabeth Anne-Marie Swan."

"After my—"

"Mother," I said, completing his sentence. "And her initials are E-A-M, for Edward Anthony Masen." I smiled at his shock, feeling the sting of venom in my eyes. "See, Edward? I never forgot you, and I haven't been mad at you for a long time. Naming my daughter that gave a good memory to a bad and helped me remember that she was my angel, much like you. I never stopped loving you, even when I was at my lowest—"

Before I could finish my sentence, Edward pulled me into his arms, and before I could protest—not that I'd planned on protesting—his lips were on mine.


	9. Chapter 9

**Bella's POV**

The kiss with Edward seemed to go on forever. Not having to breathe certainly had its advantages. Any electricity I'd felt the few times we'd kissed when we were together before paled in comparison to the feelings coursing through my body now. The closest thing that came to mind was the lick of flames as I burned during the change—only this time, the fire was pleasure, not pain.

He flipped us around and pressed me back against the wall. I moaned when our lower bodies rubbed together. The sound pulled us out of the lust-filled fog we'd been under as we kissed.

My head fell to his shoulder as we tried to control our breathing. It was then that I realized my leg was wrapped around his hip. If I'd been human still, I knew my cheeks would've been beet red. I slid it to the floor, shuddering as it caused us to brush against one another one last time.

"All right, I know it's been a while, but break it up, you two," Alice said, breezing back into the living room with Jasper and a smirking Jake on her heels. "We've got big things to discuss."

No one said anything about the mess. I was guessing they knew exactly what had happened, because they'd known I was going to explain to Edward about Lizzie and the rape. Alice would've seen his reaction, too, so she'd probably prepared Jasper and Jake for the destruction. She took a seat on Jasper's lap in the remaining chair, while Jake stood, leaning against the wall, legs and arms crossed in as casual a pose as he could manage while in the presence of four vampires.

Edward rolled his eyes and smiled at me. "Come on, lo—Bella." He caught himself, shaking his head once as if to clear it, and then looked to the others. "Let's see what the pixie has to say that's so important."

He led me over to the couch, and once I was seated, he sat several feet away, near the other end.

I looked at him curiously, raising an eyebrow in question. "Do I stink now?" I asked, pretending to be offended.

At first, Edward looked shocked, and then he chuckled lightly. "I wasn't sure..."

I shook my head and grinned, crooking my finger for him to move closer. He smiled and slid down the couch, moving close enough that our thighs and shoulders brushed against one another.

Alice beamed and then sobered, looking at me. "Go ahead, Bella. Ask."

I had a million questions running through my head, but apparently, she'd seen me decide on which one to ask first.

I looked at Edward, but he shook his head. "I didn't see anything. She's blocking me."

"Jake," I said first, looking at my friend, "don't you need to get some sleep? I'm sure they can keep an eye on me—make sure I don't eat anybody."

Jake rolled his eyes. "I'm good. I'll go home and get some sleep after we talk. Seth's in charge until I get back."

I nodded and then looked back at Alice. "How'd you know to come back here? Why then? Why didn't you see me sooner?"

I tried, but apparently failed to keep the hurt from my voice, because Edward spoke up in answer.

"I asked her not to keep tabs on you, Bella," he admitted with a sigh. "I thought if she did, I would learn how happy you were, and even though that's what I wanted for you, I knew it would be too much. It would hurt to know you were happy without me."

Closing my eyes briefly, I turned to Alice when she started speaking.

"I wish I'd looked for you sooner, Bella. I'm so sorry," she said, her voice shaky. "I was keeping tabs on Victoria. Unfortunately, she'd been blocking me somehow, so I was only able to get spotty visions of her."

Edward froze beside me, staring in Jake's direction, but I ignored it for the moment to ask Alice, "Could it have been Riley? Could he have had some sort of...talent or whatever?" The fight with Victoria was one of the things we'd talked about before I'd gone hunting with Jasper and Jake.

Alice shrugged. "It's entirely possible, sure. I've never run into a talent that affects my visions like that, but I'm sure it's possible."

Edward turned to look at me then. "You killed Victoria?" he asked, his voice deadly calm. He looked angry, but I'd have bet anything that it was directed at the red-haired bitch herself and not me.

I shook my head. "Jake and Seth did."

"But you fought her," he groaned, raking his hand through his hair before grabbing hold and tugging hard at it.

I explained about her showing up while I was with Seth, about Riley running and Seth chasing after him when I'd ordered him to go and protect the people in La Push and Forks, and about the two wolves coming to my rescue.

Edward looked pained as he turned to Jacob. "It seems I owe you more than I could ever repay."

Jake waved him off with a smirk and a shrug. "Sure, sure. I'll collect one day." He winked at me playfully as Edward turned back to face me.

After a moment, I looked at Alice again. "So you were watching Victoria..."

Alice nodded slowly. "I didn't know she'd sent Laurent for you or planned to come to Forks herself, I swear it, Bella. I only saw you fighting her—you were alone with her, so it must have been right after Jacob and Seth killed Riley. Jasper and I came as soon as I saw that. I'm so sorry."

Shaking my head, I said, "I'm not mad, Alice. I was hurt for a long time—even still, a little bit, maybe—that you could have left and forgotten me so easily, but I'm not mad. With everything that happened, especially now that you're back, any anger I might've felt is long gone."

Alice frowned. "I never forgot you, Bella. None of us did," she said pointedly, looking over at Edward.

Her look reminded me that I had a question for Edward, as well. "How did you know to come here?" I asked him and then shook my head as the answer came to me. "Alice."

"In a way," he said, looking at his sister. "I made my weekly call to check in with Carlisle, and Esme mentioned that Alice and Jasper had withdrawn from school, wanting to travel for a while. From her reluctance to answer my questions, I guessed that they were coming to Forks."

"Wait," I said, interrupting the story. "You weren't with them?"

He shook his head once. "I tried at first, but being around all of the happy couples was too hard. I've just been traveling across the country and up into Canada the whole time. It was..." His voice broke, and he cleared his throat before continuing in a whisper, "It was worse than before I met you. I knew what I was missing, and being surrounded by the love I didn't have hurt too much."

My heart broke for him then, even though his leaving had been all his doing. I understood it now, of course, and even though I still thought he should have talked to me about it, I hurt because he'd obviously been hurting. I scooted the rest of the distance to him and took his hand in mine, whispering a quiet, "I'm sorry, Edward."

He squeezed my hand before continuing his story. "I was in Toronto yesterday, and early that morning, I had this feeling I needed to be close to you. I didn't know about Victoria, Bella, I swear it, or I would have come back."

I nodded, urging him silently to continue.

"Anyway, I was about halfway to Vancouver, which was as close as I was going to allow myself to get—for fear of giving in and coming to check on you, when I was so sure it would be the wrong thing to do—when I called and learned that from Esme. I tried calling Alice immediately, but neither she, nor Jasper would pick up their phones. Finally, I went searching online to see if I could figure out what had made them suddenly want to visit, and I found a press conference your dad gave a couple of days after you went missing. I knew Alice had to have had a vision about it, and because you'd gone missing already, I knew something had already happened."

He sighed, looking pained. "Once I got to Vancouver, I kept calling, and after not hearing from them, I finally had to come down and find out what had happened. I couldn't live anymore not knowing..." He swallowed, shaking his head. "I ran straight here, figuring I'd find Alice here or a trail that led me to wherever she might be."

I looked at Alice knowingly. "You knew he was coming, didn't you?"

She nodded sheepishly. "I saw his decision to leave Vancouver a few hours ago."

"_That_ was your vision?" Jake asked, throwing up his hands in exasperation. He looked at Edward. "She said she saw Bella getting upset, so she needed to hunt, and she asked us to take her while she readied the house for the three of them."

"I wanted to talk to Edward alone first," Alice admitted. "I figured the news about Bella would be easiest coming from me."

Edward sighed, shrugging. "That news would have been hard coming from anyone, Ali, but thank you."

Then she smiled brightly. "The good news is that now we have all the time in the world to catch up!"

The reminder that I was now immortal caused any happiness on my face to disappear. "About that," I started. "I'd planned to go north to Canada, but..." I looked at Edward, unsure as to what he wanted—or whether I should include him in any future plans.

"We'll go wherever you want to go, Bella," he murmured. "I mean, if you want me with you. If you don't, I under—"

"I do," I said quickly, stopping him from continuing. "Wherever we go, I want to go together."

"That's what we tried to tell you earlier, Bella," Alice chirped. "Right before I got the vision of Edward coming here. You don't have to go anywhere!"

I shook my head slowly. "Alice, I can't stay. Just because I didn't charge through the window and attack Charlie and Lizzie doesn't mean they're safe around me. I'm too strong and too dangerous to be around her. If I stay, I'll hurt them—and if _I_ don't, others, like James, Laurent, or Victoria, could. As much as it will hurt Lizzie growing up without me and as much as it will kill me to be without her, I just..."

I broke down into tearless sobs again at the thought of leaving. In my heart, I knew it was the right thing, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Edward's POV**

Hearing Bella's cries was my undoing. I pulled her onto my lap, hugging her tight with one arm and using my free hand to caress her hair, brushing my thumb lightly across her cheek.

As she cried, I realized that she was doing with Lizzie exactly what I'd done with her.

"Bella," I crooned softly into her ear, "that's the same reason I left you in the first place. I already know I was wrong. Don't make the same mistake I did, love. If there's a way for you to stay, we need to try to see if we can make it work."

She sniffled a few times before looking up at me, her red eyes bright with emotion. "Y-You really think there might be something to what Alice and Jasper said?"

I nodded. "I think it's worth looking into, anyway."

"How do we find out?" she asked, looking between Alice, Jasper, and me.

"I'm not sure how comfortable I am with this," Jacob spoke from his spot against the wall. He'd been mostly quiet throughout everything, but he clearly looked on edge at the moment.

"Jake, they won't let me hurt Lizzie or Charlie," she said quietly.

"Bella..." He huffed, shaking his head slowly. "I don't know them. All I know is the stories..."

She stood firm. "You don't know them, but you do know me, Jake. You may not be able to trust them yet, but I do. I trust every one of them," she said, squeezing my hand. "So trust me."

Hearing Bella tell Jacob that she trusted us—me—made me want to cry like Bella had just done. After all I'd done—leaving her to be attacked not only once, but twice—she still trusted me. She was truly amazing.

Jacob sighed. "Fine. I trust you to know whether or not you can trust them to keep your family safe, Bella." He looked around at the rest of us. "So, like she said...how do we find out?"

I spoke up then. "I think our first step should be to call Carlisle. He may have some answers to Alice's vision."

My sister flashed a grin at us. "Already done." Closing her eyes, she was quiet a moment. "They'll be here in nine hours, sixteen minutes."


	10. Chapter 10

**Bella's POV**

Jake left soon after Alice's news about the rest of the Cullens coming back to Forks, asking us to call him when we learned anything new. He needed to let the pack know about the visit and get some sleep, but as I'd said goodbye to him just outside the back door, he'd made me promise to call him if I needed him. I think he'd been nervous about leaving me, but once I'd sworn to him that I'd call him, he'd nodded and walked out to the woods. I heard him shift, howl once, and then he was gone.

"Jacob went home to get some sleep?" Edward's velvety voice came from a few feet behind me, startling me out of my thoughts.

"Like you didn't hear," I scoffed, chuckling. I knew he'd heard—both with his ears _and_ his mind.

He shrugged sheepishly. "I do try not to listen to other people's conversations and thoughts, you know."

That reminded me...

"Can you hear me now?" I asked, feeling like the guy on that damn Verizon television commercial. I tapped my head, clarifying what I meant.

He tilted his head, as if listening, and then smirked. "Not a thing. Still as silent to me as ever."

Shrugging, I said wryly, "Well, at least some things haven't changed."

Edward stepped closer to me, running his finger down my jaw, and smiled when my breath caught. "No, some things haven't..." His voice was low, sexy, and made me want to kiss the ever-loving shit out of him.

Instead, I frowned and reached up, tracing the dark circles under his eyes, which were dark themselves. "You look hungry," I murmured. "When's the last time you hunted?"

At his shrug, I sighed. "Edward, you need to hunt."

He watched me for a moment and then nodded, holding out his hand. "Come with me?"

I smiled and took his hand, slowly walking with him away from the house. When we got to the woods at the edge of the property, I asked, "What now?"

"Let's run," he suggested. "I've wanted to run with you since the first time I brought you out here to visit."

I dropped his hand and took off suddenly, laughing at his surprised shout. Within moments, he'd caught up with me, and we ran side by side through the trees. I could tell how fast he was now. Jasper had confirmed while we were hunting earlier that newborns were faster than older vampires, but that Edward was the fastest of all the Cullens. He was keeping pace with me—a newborn—so I knew Jasper hadn't exaggerated.

As we ran, I watched my surroundings. The first time he'd run while carrying me, Edward had explained how easily he could see each individual branch and leaf, but I hadn't truly comprehended what he meant until I was changed. As fast as we were moving, I could indeed see the details as clearly—probably even more clearly—than I could while standing still as a human. It was absolutely incredible. I saw the needles from the fir trees, the ants as they scurried up one of the large spruce trees, and squirrels and other small animals as they fled when we came near.

We'd been running for a few minutes when my throat started burning hotter. I could smell deer in the distance. Without giving Edward another thought, I took off in the direction of the delicious scent. When I got within sight of them, they must have realized I was there, because they turned and scattered, running in fifteen different directions as fast as they could.

I skidded to a stop, kicking up a large patch of grass and dirt with my foot in frustration. "Argh!" I screamed loudly. I knew I could've caught them if I'd wanted to, but I was so mad, I hadn't even thought of chasing after them.

Edward, who'd stopped a few feet away from me, raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Bella?" he asked softly.

"I have to be the only vampire in the history of vampires to go through the change and be just as loud and awkward as I was when I was human!" I growled, kicking another patch of dirt.

He chuckled softly and then moved up to stand behind me. "Bella," he purred into my ear, "you aren't loud and awkward. It's all a matter of practice and learning, love."

He wasn't touching me, but every nerve ending in my body was standing on end. I could feel his powerful strength contained just under the surface. It almost visibly vibrated from him, exploding outward. Whereas before, he'd been like ice against me, I could now feel the heat of his body as he hovered near. His smooth, velvet-soft voice was caressing my ear, making my whole body feel alive. I felt the warmth of his breath as it ghosted across my cheek and neck. He smelled...God, he smelled just as he always had, only magnified by ten thousand. He was all honey, lilac, and sun bottled into one scent. Back when I was human, he'd just smelled...sweet. Now, the scent wrapped around me, intoxicating me and drawing me in further.

"See, it's all about your senses, my Bella," he continued. "First, close your eyes."

My eyelids fluttered closed almost involuntarily at his quiet command.

"Next, breathe. Take long, deep breaths, tasting all the scents on the back of your tongue," he explained, still speaking in that soft, hypnotic tone.

Without opening my eyes or moving even a twitch, I took several slow breaths, understanding immediately what he'd meant. I could taste the dampness in the air from a coming rain storm, the fresh, clean scent of the grass under our feet; the birds and other small animals were rich scents on my tongue—although none smelled appetizing—and then... Then, I smelled something deep and rich, which made venom pool in my mouth.

Edward must have known when I sensed it. "Smell that?" At my nod, he said, "Good. Now listen. Tell me what you hear," he instructed softly.

We were quiet while I listened. At first, all I could hear were his soft breaths behind me, the whisper of the wind as it blew through the trees, and the same small animals scampering through the forest.

"I hear you," I started, my voice coming out louder than I'd expected, making me jump slightly. "Uh, the wind, and the squirrels and animals in the forest around us."

Then, to our right, I began to hear other things—what I presumed he'd been talking about.

"Off to the right," I murmured. "A heartbeat...and breathing."

"Good," Edward said in my ear. "What else?"

"It's a much bigger animal, from the sound of it. It sounds like it's eating something—maybe pawing through bushes?" I asked, uncertain.

"Very good," his voice rumbled, deep and smooth, as he moved closer so my back brushed against his chest. "Now open your eyes, love. Tell me what you can see."

My mind was immediately assaulted with the forest around us as I followed his instructions. I began to breathe faster, feeling suddenly overwhelmed, and snapped my eyes closed again.

Edward slid his arms around my waist, tugging me against him. "Slowly, Bella. Let it all sink in. There's no rush, love."

His touch, coupled with his words, calmed me immediately. I relaxed in his arms and slowly opened my eyes again. This time, I filtered out as much as I could, turning my head to the right, where I'd smelled and heard the animal. It took a moment, but then, through the trees, I could clearly see the large black bear—much bigger than the one I'd taken down the day I'd fought with Victoria.

I moved to take off after the animal, whose blood I could suddenly hear clearly as it pulsed through its body, calling to me, but Edward's arms locked around my waist kept me still.

"Not yet, Bella," he corrected smoothly. "If you take off now, it'll just run like the deer did. Use your senses and your new body to sneak up on him. Wait until you're close to pounce. Can you do that?"

I nodded, so he let me go.

I missed the warmth and feel of his body immediately, but my attention was focused on the bear. Ignoring Edward, I ran silently through the trees, sweeping around the bear, rather than going straight at it. He was so caught up in rooting out food, he didn't hear or see me coming until I was merely feet from him. I threw myself at him, grabbing him around the neck and twisting, breaking his neck at the same time I sank my teeth through the coarse hair, skin, and muscles until I reached the vein.

As I took long pulls of the warm, thick blood, I lifted my eyes to see if I could spot Edward. A movement about twenty yards to my left had me looking up. I watched Edward as he jumped at a large buck. He snapped the deer's neck and began to drink, watching me the entire time. The deer was nearly twice his size. He should have looked small and overpowered; instead, he looked commanding...sexy.

I dropped the bear, full for the moment, and just watched him. His hair was messy, with a few leaves sticking out of it, and his shirt was ripped, like the deer had gotten in a kick or caught the fabric with his antler. His hands were fisted in the deer's coarse tan hair as he held the animal to his lips. Aside from the shirt, he was clean, which was a far cry from my outfit, I realized as I looked down my body.

My bear must have gotten in a few good swipes with its large paws, because my shirt was also ripped, and I could see long slashes in the front from the claws, my pale skin showing through and casting shimmering light from the few rays of sun that made it through the trees.

I looked back at Edward, who'd dropped the deer and was slowly stalking his way to me. His eyes were dark, even though he'd just eaten, and the look he was giving me made a shiver race up my spine. I felt like his prey, but unlike the deer, I wasn't running.

_Much..._

I took a step back, and then another, until my back was flush against the rough bark of a tree. By the time Edward reached me, I was breathing heavily—panting, really—and my fingers had gouged holes in the wood behind me.

I whimpered, nearly vibrating with need, as Edward stopped in front of me. He looked ethereal. Looking at him in the sun now with my new eyes was a completely different experience than it had been with my poor human sight. I saw thousands of colors that I hadn't even known existed as they reflected off his skin. They formed a glow around him, much like I imagined an angel's halo would appear.

I tried holding myself back—I really did. But when he reached out and traced one of the slashes from the bear's claws, his finger raked my skin and left a trail of fire behind. I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist as I crushed my lips to his. We fell to the ground with needy moans exploding from both of us as our lower halves rubbed against one another.

Edward sat up, cradling me in his lap with my legs still locked around his waist. He broke from my mouth, trailing kisses down my jaw to my neck, placing a long, hard, suckling kiss to the spot under my ear. He'd never really kissed me there before, and the sensation was almost too much.

I needed more. Feeling him through his shirt wasn't enough. I gripped the back and ripped it from his body, tossing it to the ground behind him. Then my hands were back on his skin, tracing every dip and indentation of his rippling muscles. He felt so warm, so soft under my fingers—totally different than when I'd touched him before. Then, he was all ice and marble. Now, he was fire and silk.

"So sexy," he growled, fisting the back of my shirt. "You have no idea how fucking sexy you looked in the sunlight. Seeing you hunt... Oh, love..."

The purring growl turned into a roar as I dipped my head to his shoulder and raked my teeth across his skin, dragging my tongue out to taste him.

"Bella!" he cried, bucking his hips up against me.

It felt so good, so right, to be in his arms again. My world hadn't been right since the day he'd left Forks. This was the first time in a year and a half that I felt whole—or as much as I could without my daughter in my arms.

"God, I've missed you," I breathed against his skin.

I felt Edward tense before I heard the one thing I never wanted to hear come from him again.

"Bella, love, we should stop."


	11. Chapter 11

**Edward's POV**

"_God, I missed you."_

It had taken me every bit of strength and control I'd gained in my nearly ninety years as a vampire to pull away after Bella's words. When I'd told her I thought we should stop and she'd stiffened, trying to escape my arms, I'd held on tighter. Now, I needed to try to fix this screwed-up situation before I did even more damage to my relationship with her.

"Isabella," I said softly, trying to dazzle her as I so often had when she was human. "Look at me, please."

Her hands were clenched into fists between us, and she was staring down at them, avoiding my gaze.

"Bella, please," I begged, feeling my heart break as she sniffled.

She shook her head, and her next quiet words ripped me to shreds from the inside out.

"Y-You don't want me." Before I could say anything, she continued, "I'm a vampire now, and you still don't want me. I wasn't good enough for you then; I don't know why I thought I'd be good enough for you now."

_Fuck!_ Was that what she thought?

"Isabella Marie Swan, you look at me," I said in as commanding a tone as I was able.

She looked up as far as my chin.

Sliding my hands to her hips, I rocked her against my erection, which was still hard as a rock, thanks to her position on my lap.

"Does that feel like I don't want you?" I asked her, rocking her once more as I thrust my hips up, making us both gasp.

"Purely physical," she answered, shaking her head. "It's your b-body's natural reaction to—"

"Bella, please," I said again. "_Look_ at me. Look into my eyes and tell me I don't want you."

There was a long pause before she finally—_finally!_—raised her gaze to mine. I let every ounce of love I had for her, every bit of desire, fill me, permeating every pore. She must have seen something that convinced her, because she gasped.

"B-But you said—"

"I know, love," I said, shaking my head. "I said we should stop. Not because I didn't want you—God, never that!—but because the first time we make love should not be out in the middle of the woods, and it won't be before we've really had a chance to talk.

"Fuck, Bella," I sighed, "don't ever think I don't want you or that you aren't good enough for me. You've always—_always,_ dammit—been too good for me."

"You said you didn't want me before. How do I..." Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head once.

Clenching my teeth, I cursed myself once again for my stupidity. "Bella, love, I lied. Remember? I thought I was doing the right thing, so I lied. I've _never_ not wanted you. Every time I stopped you, I'd have given anything to be able to continue. To kiss you like I wanted to kiss you. To feel your warm hands on my cold skin. Back then, your safety was the only thing on my mind. I was so worried I would hurt you physically."

"But I'm not breakable now!" she said quickly. "See?" She picked up a small rock from beside us and crushed it with a flick of her fingers.

Swallowing thickly at the reminder that she was now as strong as I was—stronger, even—and that I didn't have to keep myself in check like I had before, I nodded. "Yes, love, I know. But we've—you've—been through so much. I want to make sure we take it slow. We have all the time in the world now, and I don't want to mess this up again." I closed my eyes, hoping she would understand.

She was quiet a moment before I felt her small hands on my face, her thumbs caressing my cheeks. "Okay," she sighed. "I'm not sure I like it, but I get it."

I pressed my forehead to hers, exhaling in relief, feeling the sharp pain in my chest slowly fading away.

"Is it..." she started before shaking her head and trying to stand up again.

Holding her firmly, I kept her in my lap and frowned. "Is it _what_, love?"

She sighed. "Is it easy for you? To stop, I mean."

Never letting go of her, I laughed ruefully. "It's easier in some ways, and harder in others," I admitted. Before she could scramble off my lap, I rushed to explain. "Before, my bloodlust and my worry about hurting you made stopping unavoidable. I wanted you as much then as I do now, but no matter how much I wanted to continue, I couldn't."

I took a deep breath before explaining further. "Now, it's easier to stop because I know we have eternity. There's no rush to do anything now before we can't anymore. But love, if you think it's easy?" I shook my head. "It's not. I want you—" I huffed a laugh "—so fucking much, I can't stand it. I've spent a year and a half wanting you. And now, when I can actually _do_ something about it, stopping is the hardest thing in the world. I can't... God, Bella, I can't explain how hard it was to stop just now. Even now, I can barely keep my hands off you."

Bella had been watching me as I spoke, her eyes wide, lips pursed, and breathing unsteady. She swallowed before whispering, "I thought it was just me. Back then, I thought my feelings were stronger, and I worried about that again when you stopped us just now. You do feel as strongly as I do, though, don't you?"

I did the only thing I could think of at that moment. Sliding my hands up her arms, I gently cradled her face and pressed my lips to hers, pouring every bit of my love into the kiss. When we finally pulled away, breathing as one, she smiled shakily.

"I can't keep my hands off you, love. Even before, I felt—" I paused, unsure of how best to phrase it "—off if I wasn't touching you somehow. Now? The feeling is ten times stronger."

She nodded, as though she understood exactly what I meant, and then rested her forehead on my shoulder.

"We should get back," I said finally, standing with Bella and setting her on her feet. "Hopefully I'll be able to find a new shirt." I laughed ruefully at the tattered remains of my shirt on the ground near us.

"Oops," she laughed.

I grabbed my shirt in one hand and her hand in the other, and then we began running through the woods toward the house.

When we got back, there was a stack of clothes and a note sitting on the counter in the kitchen. Bella picked up the note while I grabbed the clothes.

"Alice said she and Jasper are hunting and will be back before your family gets here," she said, passing me the note and taking the jeans and shirt I held out for her. "I'm gonna take a shower and change clothes." She plucked at her ruined shirt, smiling ruefully. "Mind if I use yours?"

"Sounds good, love," I murmured, pulling her in for a quick kiss. "I'll change down here."

I smiled as she walked up the stairs at a human pace. For a newborn only weeks into this life, she was doing so remarkably well. Then again, I shouldn't have been surprised. Even as a human, she'd constantly surprised me.

When I heard the water turn on, I raced to the guest bathroom on the first floor. I wanted to linger in the shower, but that would have to wait. I hadn't touched the piano since I came back—in fact, it had been eighteen months since I'd touched any keyboard—and I was itching to get my hands back on the keys.

I washed off the grime and dirt from hunting with the body wash Alice had stocked in the bathroom and then dressed in the clothes I'd set on the counter. I could still hear Bella in the bathroom upstairs, washing her hair. It was an odd—yet comforting and familiar—feeling of being able to hear her, but having my mind quiet. It was the first time in forever that I felt completely at peace.

Leaving my ruined clothes in the bathroom, I made my way back to the living room, sliding down onto the piano bench with a relieved sigh. Music was such an ingrained part of me that it was literally like coming home after a prolonged absence. I played a few scales to loosen up my fingers and immediately flowed into Esme's song. As I played, I could hear Bella moving around upstairs, brushing her hair and putting on the new clothes. When I transitioned smoothly into Bella's lullaby, I heard her gasp softly. If her heart had been beating, I knew it would've sputtered like it had so many times before.

I continued to play, moving from Bella's lullaby to "Claire de Lune," another song that meant a lot to the both of us; it was the first thing I'd learned about Bella that had really surprised me and made me realize there was more to her than the normal teenage girl.

"I've missed hearing you play," I heard softly from behind me. "Did you play a lot while you were gone?" She moved up and sat lightly on the bench beside me.

I inhaled the clean scent of her—all freesia and strawberries and simply Bella—and shook my head. "I—I didn't...I didn't listen to any music. I couldn't," I admitted. "It seemed wrong, like I was trying to be happy, and...well, I didn't feel like that was something I deserved." I whispered the last bit, feeling my body trying to curl in on itself.

Bella turned sideways on the bench, wrapped her arms around my waist, and squeezed gently. "I didn't listen to music for a while, either," she admitted. "Not until I was about midway through my pregnancy."

I smiled sadly, upset once again at how my leaving had affected her.

"Can you tell me more about where you went?" she asked, turning her head to watch my fingers dance over the keys.

"It's really not that exciting." I huffed lightly. "At first, I stayed with the family. We went up to Alaska—"

"You know another family of...vegetarians...up there, right?" she interrupted, curious.

"To see Carmen, Eleazar, Kate, Irina, and Tanya, yes," I agreed. "That's where Laurent was for a while, although he didn't stay, apparently." I frowned, worried about having brought up the reminder of why Bella was where she was. She squeezed my waist again, as if silently urging me to continue. "I only stayed there a few weeks, until it got too uncomfortable to be around all the loving couples and Tanya's...attentions."

Bella raised her head. "Her _attentions?"_ she asked. "What do you mean?"

I grimaced, shaking my head at the reminder. "Tanya and her sisters are...highly sexual creatures. They like to claim they're the original succubi. For years, Tanya offered herself to me—I believe mainly because she's not used to being rebuffed. When she saw how broken I was, she believed, like both of her sisters, that all I needed was to spend some time with a woman, and she...made her intentions very clear as to whom she thought it should be. After several weeks of having to listen to her thoughts and politely decline her advances, I'd had enough. I said goodbye to my family and headed south."

The whole time I'd been speaking, I'd been playing, moving from song to song. Bella had listened intently, getting more and more tense.

"You don't want her?" she mumbled into my shoulder.

At that question, I moved my hands around to grasp her waist and pull her to my lap so she was straddling me. When she looked down, I used a finger to tilt her head up so she was forced to look at me as I asked, "Bella, love, if I didn't want her when I was without you, what makes you think I want her now, when I have the only woman that has ever turned my head or captured my heart in my one hundred and six years on earth?"

Bella smiled beautifully and leaned forward to kiss me softly. "Good. I'd hate to kick her ass. According to rumors, I'm much stronger than she is right now, and I don't wanna hurt her," she teased, pulling a laugh and a nod from me. "Where'd you go after?"

"Mainly, I ran," I admitted. "I think I thought running would help me forget—about you, about my feelings, all of it. But of course, it didn't. You were with me everywhere I went. I stopped in Chicago this time last year, spending several days in my family's home there. It's been rented, but the company that manages it was having some work done last year, so it was empty. Other than that, I visited several of the houses Carlisle and Esme own and stayed away from civilization as much as possible."

Resting her head on my chest as I played and talked, Bella sighed. We were quiet then, just listening to the music from the piano, until my curiosity got the best of me.

"What about you, love?" I asked reluctantly. "I, uh, know what happened that March, but can you tell me about before that?" She tensed in my arms, and I hurried to say, "If you don't want to, it's okay. I understand. You certainly don't owe me an explanation or anything."

"No..." she said, drawing out the word. "It's not that, exactly. The first couple of months weren't pretty, Edward. I don't know if you really wanna hear about that."

I swallowed back my anger at the pain I'd caused my Bella and tried to smile. "Isabella, I want to hear it all—or as much as you want to tell me. Please," I sighed.

Without looking up at me, she said, "I was nearly comatose for the first month. I tried not to fall asleep, because sleeping meant nightmares, and nightmares meant I woke up screaming. I actually developed laryngitis from all the screaming. I barely ate enough to survive; most of what I did eat, I threw up later. Jake, Ang, and Jessica really became my support system—and Charlie's. They came and helped get me in and out of the shower every day, helped as Charlie forced me to eat..."

I felt absolutely sick to my stomach as I listened to her. I hadn't felt this nauseous since I was human, but I was afraid I was going to throw up every bit of blood and venom in my body if I heard much more. I swallowed it back and nodded for her to continue when she looked up at me with a sad smile on her face.

"After a month, Charlie threatened to call Renee and make her take me back to Florida with her. There was even talk about admitting me to the hospital. Nothing got through to me, though, until Angela sat down on the edge of my bed one day and asked if what I was doing would be what you would want me to be doing. Of course, she didn't know anything about where you'd gone or why you'd left—she just thought you had moved away and broken up with me—but they'd tried everything else, including avoiding bringing up your name around me, so she was doing what she thought was the last thing she could do."

I saw the vulnerability and pain in those dark, beautiful eyes that I'd always loved. My chest filled with pain at her discomfort, but I forced myself to ignore it as she continued.

"That was what finally snapped me out of it, at least somewhat. At the time, I still believed you'd left because I wasn't enough for you or you didn't truly love me—"

I clenched my jaw tight, hating myself for having made her feel that way.

"—so I was determined to at least try to prove you wrong, maybe in the hopes that you would somehow see that and return to me." She chuckled wryly. "I didn't succeed. I mean, it worked for all outward appearances. I pretended well for everyone else—Charlie and my friends quit worrying—but inside, I was still dead emotionally for a long time. Then in January, Angela's brother was diagnosed with cancer. I realized I had to step up and be her friend, like she'd been mine. I began to live a little more. I still wasn't back to normal inside, but I was closer. Isaac—her brother—is in remission now, thank goodness, but for a while, things were bad."

As she changed topics, she moved slightly in my lap, a gentle rocking motion. "Anyway, because Victoria was apparently still coming around, Jacob shifted in February, so things between us were distant. When I went on spring break with the girls, he still wasn't speaking to me. When...everything happened and I came home, he came over and held me as I cried. I was shocked at his appearance—he'd grown like a foot and gained muscles he hadn't had the last time I'd seen him. Of course, he explained about the wolf thing—even though he wasn't supposed to—so the growing made more sense," she said, chuckling.

I'd quit playing during her story and wrapped my arms around her, needing to feel her as close as possible. I wanted to be there for her now, to support her the way I should've supported her always. Her arms were tight around me, as well.

"I had plans to go to school at Washington State—I'd gotten a full academic ride—but the rape changed all that. I thought about just taking a semester off and going in the spring, because I wasn't sure I would be ready to be away from home, but then I found out I was pregnant. Jess and Angela were afraid to go off to school—Jess got a scholarship to WSU, too, and Angela is in New York, at Columbia—but Jake promised to be here for me and the baby, and I told them to go."

Suddenly, I was very curious about something. "Was Jacob Alpha of the pack then?"

Bella shook her head. "Sam was, until I was about six months pregnant with Lizzie. Then Emily, his wife, got pregnant, and since Jacob had matured a lot by then, Sam stepped down and let Jacob take over as the Alpha. Sam had kind of fallen into the position when he was the first one to shift. He's the oldest of the group, too, so it was just easier all around for him to continue until Jacob was ready."

I nodded in understanding. Jacob's grandfather, Ephraim Black, had been Alpha at the time, and the man Carlisle and I had made the treaty with. Jacob was the rightful heir to the position, and from what I had seen of him with Bella, he was a good man for the job.

"And Sue? I heard something in Jacob's thoughts about her and Charlie?"

Bella smiled and sighed. "They started seeing each other shortly after you left and got married when I was four months pregnant. Sue..." She huffed, shaking her head. "Sue was a God-send after the rape and during my pregnancy. It was hard for Charlie—seeing me get that upset—and he wasn't sure what to do for me. Sue knew I just needed someone to let me cry on their shoulder, someone to tell me everything was gonna be okay."

I was about to tell her how grateful I was that she'd had both Sue's and Jacob's support, when I heard my sister and Jasper on their way back to the house.

"Alice is back," I mumbled against her neck. "Thank you for telling me, my Bella."

It had been hard to hear, but I knew that had been nothing compared to living through it. She was stronger than I'd ever given her credit for, and if she'd let me, I'd spend the rest of my existence making it up to her.

"Thank you for listening," she whispered. She moved her head and kissed me slowly, no trace of anything but pure love in her touch.


	12. Chapter 12

**Bella's POV**

"How long?" I asked for the sixth time as I paced around the empty living room.

We'd cleaned up as best we could, including using some plywood from the garage to cover the window, but without the large coffee table and chair, the room felt empty. Jasper had even found some stuff somewhere to repair the dent in the wall from Edward's fist, so aside from the missing furniture and boarded-up window, everything seemed in order.

Alice made a noise of teasing frustration. "Three minutes, Bella," she said exasperatedly. "Why are you so nervous? You already know everyone!"

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around my middle nervously, unable to vocalize how I was feeling. _Would they still want me? Would Rosalie still hate me?_ All of my unanswered questions were making me as close to sick to my stomach as I probably could get now.

Edward was still at the piano, trying to keep me from going nuts by playing things to calm me. Jasper had tried using his vampire woo-woo calming ability on me, but I'd asked him not to. I needed to feel like I was in control of something—and however tenuous that control might be, my emotions were something I could handle on my own. Alice was flipping through a magazine, although I knew she'd read the entire thing at least three times already. In short, we were all playing a game of "not so patiently" waiting for the rest of the family to arrive.

Before I could worry any more about it, Alice was up and pulling me by the hand to the front door. "Come on, Bella," she ordered sweetly. "Let's meet them outside. Rose and Emmett are following them in the BMW and Jeep."

Edward was beside me before we reached the front door. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Alice?" he asked, concern coloring his tone.

"Oh, Edward," she groaned, shooting him a look I couldn't interpret. "Lighten up, brother mine. She'll be fine!"

I looked from one to the other, completely lost, and then looked over at Jasper, who'd come out onto the porch with us. "Do you understand them?" I asked waspishly.

He shrugged and shook his head. "Alice is putting out some pretty misch—"

"Come on, Jazzy," Alice said firmly. "Let's go wait over there for them."

I looked at Edward, who just gave me a tight smile and shrugged. _Okay, then,_ I thought. Obviously, I wasn't in any danger, so I would try not to worry over one more thing I didn't have any control over. Of course, the pixie, Edward, and I would have to sit down at one point and talk about not keeping visions secret from me anymore.

"Of course, Bella," the pixie herself called from the end of the porch. "We'll talk about it, I promise."

I chuckled, shaking my head at her. My nerves returned full force, and I squeezed Edward's hand tighter as I watched Carlisle's Mercedes come around the curve of the long driveway.

"Relax, love," Edward murmured, brushing a kiss across the top of my head. "They love you almost as much as I do, remember?"

_Yes, they'd loved human Bella,_ I thought to myself. But I wasn't that same person now as I was then. Would they love the new me?

The moment the Mercedes slid to a stop, the passenger door opened, and Esme flew out of the car. She took a few tentative steps my way, wringing her hands, and then moved around to Carlisle's door. When he stepped out, they paused, looking up at me. The expressions on their faces ranged from hope to worry, but the ones I saw expressed most were love and acceptance. When Esme held her arms open, I let go of Edward's hand and raced down to them, throwing myself into her embrace.

As much as being in Edward's arms was like coming home, Esme's hug was just as good, in a much different way. For all intents and purposes, Carlisle and Esme had become like second parents to me in the short time I'd known them. They'd always made me feel warm and safe, and I'd missed them terribly.

Esme wrapped me in a hug so hard, it almost hurt. Venom was stinging my eyes as I swallowed, holding her to me, and she was murmuring in a quiet tone, saying how sorry she was, but that she was so glad to see me. Carlisle wrapped an arm around his wife and put his other hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently.

"Hello, Bella," he said softly. "It's very good to see you, sweetheart."

I sniffled a few times and nodded. "It's good to see you both, too," I said. "I missed you."

"Let me look at you, Bella," Esme said finally, pulling away to cup my face in her hands. After looking me over, she said, "You're beautiful, darling. You always were, but this life suits you. I'm just sorry it had to happen this way."

Sniffling again, I agreed. "Me, too."

They gave me one last squeeze and then released me.

I heard a soft clearing of a throat, and I looked over to see Rosalie standing at the back of Carlisle's Mercedes, hands clasped in front of her and an almost embarrassed expression on her face.

"Rosalie," I murmured.

"Bella," she said, just as softly. "I'm so, so sorry."

After Alice and Jasper has returned from hunting, I'd asked Alice to call the rest of the family and give them my full story. I didn't feel like explaining it in detail again, but I knew they would need to know. In turn, Rosalie had asked Alice to tell me her story, so Alice had explained about Rose's fiancé and his friends brutally assaulting her one night as she walked home through the streets of Rochester, leaving her for dead. She'd told me that was where Carlisle had found her, and rather than leaving her to die there on the street, he'd brought her home and changed her, in the hopes of finding a mate for Edward.

Looking at Rosalie now, she was even more beautiful than I remembered her being when I was human, but my vampire eyes could pick up the underlying sadness that was present in her gaze.

I held my ground as she walked up to me now, holding her hand out. I took it, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Hello, Bella," she said, giving me a small smile. "Please call me Rose. It's very nice to meet you."

At first, I was confused, but then I realized she was giving me what should have been her greeting all those months ago, when we'd first met. Yes, we had a lot to talk about, but if the past eighteen months had taught me anything, it was to not sweat the small stuff.

I laughed a little and smiled back, shaking her hand once. "Hi, Rose. It's good to meet you, too."

She smiled, looking relieved that I had understood.

Just as I released her hand, I felt a strong grip on my shoulder. Without thinking it through, I pivoted slightly, reached up with both hands, grasped the arm attached to the hand on my shoulder, and flung my would-be attacker over my shoulder, onto the grass beside the driveway.

Emmett looked up at me from on his back at my feet and burst out laughing.

My hands flew to my mouth, and I gasped, worried I'd hurt him. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay, Emmett? Did I hurt you?"

The idea that I had been able to not only lift Emmett, but fling him over my shoulder, made me giggle, so when he shook his head no and laughed even harder, I couldn't help but join in. I offered him a hand, and he took it, springing to his feet and enveloping me in a bear hug.

"Damn, Bella-boo!" he cackled. "That's some strength you've got there! Bet you can't do that again, though!"

I laughed and shook my head. "It's good to see you, Emmett."

"You, too, B," he agreed. "You, too."

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Edward's POV**

Watching Bella greet my family was both fantastic...and awful. All of them—including Rose—were thrilled to see her, but their thoughts were all filled with sorrow at the knowledge that our leaving had brought her to this point.

Esme just kept repeating, _Oh, my poor Bella. My daughter. How happy I am to see you. You poor, poor girl. What you've been through!_

Carlisle's thoughts were much the same as Esme's, although he also couldn't help but think how happy his wife looked. He hadn't seen Esme look that happy since before we'd left Forks. That thought pierced my heart, knowing it was my fault we'd left—no matter how good the intention—and he must have known, because he looked at me and apologized in his head. I gave a nod to let him know I'd heard and no apology was necessary.

When Bella made her way to Rose, I tensed. Before we left Forks, and for a long time after, Rose was nothing but bitter and condescending about Bella. But as I listened carefully to her thoughts, I was pleased to hear nothing negative about the woman I planned to spend the rest of my existence with.

_Poor Bella,_ she thought, watching her hug Carlisle and Esme one last time. _She looks so nervous. She shouldn't. She's stronger than I ever gave her credit for. I'm sorry for that, Edward._ She didn't look at me when she directed the thought to me; her gaze was focused on Bella as she turned to look at Rose.

"Rosalie," Bella said tentatively.

Even as Rose spoke, her thoughts went by at a million miles an hour. "Bella," Rose said in response. "I'm so, so sorry." _I'm sorry for treating you like you unworthy. I'm sorry for treating you like you were wrong for wanting to be with your mate. I'm sorry for so many things. I hope you can forgive me. Most of all, I'm sorry you had to go through what you did. No one deserves that—especially not my sister. I should've been there for you. _We_ should've been there for you. But we're here now, and we're not leaving. We're never leaving you again. You need to know that. You need to know you're my sister now, just as much as Alice. We need to start over._

I watched as she walked to my Bella and held out her hand.

"Hello, Bella," she said, giving her a small smile. "Please call me Rose. It's very nice to meet you."

So caught up in watching the two of them, I didn't hear Emmett's thoughts until just before he moved up behind Bella. I knew it wasn't going to end well, so I took a step forward, but Alice stopped me with a hand to my arm.

_Just wait, Edward,_ she thought to me. _This will be good for both of them._

I nodded and then watched as Emmett went flying over Bella when she flipped him in an almost perfect wrestling move. The two of them laughed and hugged, saying hello in the only way my brother could.

"She looks good," Carlisle said, startling me out of my thoughts.

"She does," I agreed.

_How's she holding up?_ he asked in his thoughts.

I gave him a look that clearly said not well. "She forgave me," I said so quietly that the others across the yard would've had to strain to hear.

_I imagine so,_ he thought. _That's the type of person she is—that she's always been._

"It's more than that," I told him. "She is worried about the baby and is sure she's going to have to leave to keep her safe."

He nodded. _I spoke with Alice. We have a lot to talk about, son. The rest of us need to hunt, and then we'll sit down and talk, all right?_

I smiled at him in response and then held out my hand as Bella walked lightly up the steps to me, passing Carlisle, who was on his way back to Esme's side. "Come on, love. They're going to hunt, and then we'll talk."


	13. Chapter 13

**Edward's POV**

Bella and I were sitting on the couch together, waiting for my family. I heard their thoughts before they made it back to the house, of course. They were all curious about the upcoming conversation, worried about Bella, and both hopeful and anxious about meeting the baby. Alice and Jasper were curled up on the floor near the boarded-up window, whispering back and forth and trying to give us privacy.

We weren't actually talking—we were just enjoying being together in the quiet privacy—but we also couldn't keep our hands off each other. Whether it was my fingers running through her hair or her hand on my thigh, it didn't matter. So long as we had our hands on one another somehow, we felt connected and calm. I'd never had an experience quite like that. Even when Bella and I were together before, it wasn't the same. I'd felt the need to touch her—although the fear I'd had of hurting her had kept me from touching her nearly as much as I'd have liked—but it wasn't as electric as it was now. Maybe that had to do with her being human then and vampire now. I didn't know. It didn't matter, either. The past was the past, and we were together now. That was all that mattered.

"They're almost back, love," I murmured, brushing a kiss across her temple.

She sighed and snuggled against me more in response.

As the two couples came into the living room, Emmett tried sneaking up on Bella again.

"Emmett, I wouldn't," Alice said, shaking her head. "Touch her and she'll throw you through the boards." She gestured with her head at the spot where the window was supposed to be.

I watched the vision flash through her mind of Esme giving him a scolding and forcing him to do all of the repair work himself.

"Those are the last ones, so that wouldn't be a good thing," she snorted.

"Aww, you spoil all my fun, shorty," Emmett whined, ruffling Bella's hair as he and Rose moved around to the floor across from the couch.

Carlisle sat in the remaining chair near us, while Esme sat on the other side of Bella. It seemed that she couldn't get enough of touching Bella now, either, because she took Bella's free hand in hers and squeezed it once before setting them on her leg.

_I'm going to ask Bella some questions, Edward,_ Carlisle thought. _I know some of them may be upsetting, so I'll try to be as gentle as possible._

I nodded once to show him I'd heard and then took Bella's other hand in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Bella, how are you feeling, sweetheart?" he started.

"Physically, or mentally?" Bella asked with a snort.

Carlisle chuckled. "Either. Both."

Everyone's minds were silent as they waited for Bella's answers. From their expressions, they were all concerned and eager to hear from both Bella and Carlisle.

"Physically, I'm good. The thirst is...manageable, I guess, right now. Like, my throat is sore, but I don't feel like I need to race out and grab the first deer I can find," she tried to explain.

At that, both Carlisle and Jasper had almost the same thought. She was much more in control than she should be at this point.

_That's odd,_ Carlisle thought, almost as if to himself. "When did you last hunt?" he asked aloud.

"About five hours ago," Bella answered.

_Not enough time to be extraordinarily thirsty, but still, she should be feeling more than a sore throat at this age,_ he thought.

When he was silent, Bella continued, "Why? Is that bad?" She looked around, her eyes finally landing on mine.

"No, love," I hastened to assure her. "Carlisle just thinks you're doing very well."

She still looked unsure, but her shoulders relaxed slightly and her grip on my hand lessened.

_Brace yourself, Edward,_ Carlisle thought. _I don't want to bring up an unpleasant topic, but..._

"Now," he said, smiling as gently as he could at Bella, "tell me how you feel inside, sweetheart. Alice said you told her she could inform us of your..." His voice trailed off, his inner thoughts unsure of how to phrase it without harming Bella further.

"Rape? Daughter?" Bella clarified, squeezing both Esme's hand and mine tighter.

He frowned and hummed his acknowledgment. "She also said you don't want apologies, that the past is past—"

Bella nodded.

"—so I won't say that. I will say—and I speak for everyone here—that we're here now and will be with you as long as you want or need us to be, however you need us, all right?"

"Thanks," Bella whispered.

Carlisle's thoughts suddenly became excited as he switched gears.

_Edward, Alice and Jasper told me what happened. Bella was able to resist not only the scent of her daughter's blood, but that of Charlie's, as well. Extraordinary, son. We must look into this further. There has to be a reason for that, don't you think?_

I growled softly. "She's not an experiment, Carlisle," I hissed protectively, attempting to shield Bella from any further pain.

He shook his head quickly. "I apologize. That's not what I meant."

"What?" Bella asked.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I was just thinking of what else Alice told me, and my thoughts weren't entirely clear on my intentions. Edward was just trying to protect you," he explained, and I felt a flash of guilt for even thinking he'd meant harm. "In your own words, can you tell us about what happened after you met up with Alice and Jasper?"

As Bella told us how the four of them had climbed into the tree near her window and how she hadn't been tempted by the scents of her father or daughter, Carlisle's mind began running through possibilities. I caught snatches of thoughts—about calling Eleazar, the word shield, and something about familial blood—but he was trying hard to keep them to himself. I decided to block him out as best I could, knowing he would explain when he was ready.

"Why is this important?" Bella finally asked, looking at Carlisle and then over to me.

"As a newborn, resisting human blood is the hardest thing to learn—even more so than controlling your strength and speed," I explained, remembering her reactions to those things on our hunt. "It takes most newborn vampires a year before they're remotely ready to be around humans. You're less than a week into this...life, and you were able to do it with not one, but two humans in close proximity."

"What if it was just a one-time thing?" she asked, worry written all over her face.

"So let's take you for a test drive!" Emmett suggested enthusiastically. "Ya know, to see if you can resist them again."

"_No!"_ Bella shook her head emphatically. "I can't do that to Lizzie and Charlie. What if I can't? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did something to hurt either one of them."

"Come on, Bella!" Emmett said with a laugh. "You really think between the seven of us—not to mention the scraggly mutt Alice said you've been hanging out with—that we'd let anything happen to them? Please!" he huffed, flexing his arm muscles, which made Rose roll her eyes.

Bella giggled and a flash of hopefulness that had been lacking since I'd first seen her rose in her expression. "What do you think?" she asked quietly, looking at me expectantly.

However, as much as I wanted to grant her this wish, I knew I needed to protect her and her daughter...even from Bella herself.

_Come on, Eddie,_ Emmett thought firmly. _You know we can protect them. It's the perfect way to see if it was just a one-time fluke or if there's something else going on here._

I ignored Emmett, looking at Alice instead, as a vision—very similar to the one before—flew through her mind, of Bella rocking Lizzie in the chair in her room.

"You're sure?" I asked her, my voice low.

"Nothing's changed," she assured me.

Turning to Bella, I said, "I think it's something you should consider, love," I said, holding my hand up when she opened her mouth to protest. "Emmett's right. Between the eight of us, we wouldn't let anything happen to either Elizabeth or Charlie."

_Elizabeth,_ Esme thought with a quiet gasp. _Oh, Edward... After your mother?_

I nodded once at her, allowing a brief smile to cross my face, as I waited for Bella to answer.

"Okay," she finally sighed. "As long as you promise to keep them safe from me."

"Of course," I murmured, bringing her into my embrace.

"All right!" Emmett cheered, his sentiments echoing in the thoughts of the others. "When can we do this?"

"Tonight," Alice said firmly. "It's going to be sunny off and on today, and apparently, Carlisle has decided to call Eleazar."

We all looked at Carlisle, who was nodding. "I have some ideas, and I think Eleazar is the perfect person to help us understand what's going on with Bella and the bloodlust." When everyone opened their mouths to speak, he held up a hand. "I don't want to get into it yet—not until Eleazar is here. You'll just have to be patient."

We all sighed, but nodded—even me, because he was hiding his thoughts from me now, and I couldn't get much from them even if I'd tried.

Carlisle stood and took out his phone. "I'm going to go make the call. I'll be back," he said, touching Esme's shoulder as he moved to the back door, which shut behind him as he left the house.


	14. Chapter 14

**Bella's POV**

"What are they saying?" Emmett asked Edward.

Edward looked at me and then back to Emmett and shook his head. "Carlisle's blocking me, and they asked me to give them privacy, so I'm trying to stay out of Eleazar's head."

Carmen and Eleazar had flown in to Seattle about six hours before. Emmett and Rose had met them at the airport and driven them here to Forks. After greeting the rest of the family and meeting me, Eleazar had gone into Carlisle's office with him, shutting the rest of us out while they conferred with each other. Esme and Carmen were outside, talking in the garden, while the rest of us waited in the living room.

Emmett and Jasper had hooked up the TV and Xbox Emmett had brought when they came to Forks, and they were playing some video game with zombies. Alice and Rose were flipping through magazines, while Edward and I sat huddled on the couch. He was trying to keep me calm, but knowing Carlisle and Eleazar were talking about me was unnerving.

"It'll be okay, love," Edward murmured softly into my ear. "Whatever they come up with or figure out, we'll deal with it together, okay?"

I nodded and buried my face back in his neck. He smelled so good, I just wanted to crawl up on his lap and never leave.

"Get a room!" Emmett boomed, laughing when Jasper nodded. I hadn't noticed they were looking at us until he'd spoken.

"It's worse than it was before," Jasper said teasingly. "They can't keep their hands off each other."

"They're mates, dumbass," Rose said, reaching over to smack the back of Emmett's head. "No worse than we were at the beginning."

"No worse than they are now," Edward muttered into my neck, making me giggle.

I must have been too still for too long, showing my nervousness, because Edward squeezed my hand and leaned over to whisper in my ear. "Let's go for a walk."

Smiling at Esme and Carmen, who were just coming inside, I followed Edward out the back door.

Once we got outside, he took my hand again and led me to the back edge of the property. "We won't go too far. Just far enough to have some privacy, but still be within range so I know when they're ready for us. Okay?"

"Sounds good," I answered, following him into the trees.

The moment we stepped into the forest, the crisp scent of pine and moss, the sound of animals scampering in the fallen leaves, the slight chill in the air—along with the memories of my recent adventures with Edward while hunting—helped ease my worries, if only slightly. I needed to drift away—I'd go crazy if I didn't—and Edward had provided me with the perfect escape.

We were quiet for a few minutes before Edward spoke again.

"Tell me more about Lizzie?"

At the thought of my daughter, I couldn't help the smile that crept across my face.

"She's...wonderful," I said. "I was so worried when I first found out I was pregnant—that I wouldn't be able to love her like she would deserve, I mean. As the pregnancy developed, though, I bonded with her. She became _my_ child. It didn't matter anymore how she came to be, just that she was part of me. I—" I paused for a moment, trying to calm my emotions. "I told her about you and your family, about Charlie, and me coming to live with him. It became a nightly ritual. I would lie down after getting ready for bed, turn on...music, and rub my belly as I told her stories."

"Was the...the pregnancy difficult?" Edward asked gently. When he spoke, it was encouragingly, and he paid rapt attention. He seemed genuinely interested, absorbed in what I was saying, as if he was trying to experience with me, simply by hearing my words.

Shaking my head, I answered softly, "No, it was great. I had pretty bad morning sickness for a while—although I can't really classify it as morning sickness, since it tended to come on throughout the day—but by the end of the third month, that went away. I never had a problem health-wise for me or Lizzie. Delivery went well, too. Angela was in the delivery room with me." I laughed, remembering. "My dad offered to be in there, too, for support, but when I said I was okay with just Ang, the relief on his face was priceless. He wanted to meet his granddaughter, but he didn't _really_ want to be in the room when she came into the world."

Edward laughed softly. "I can imagine," he mused.

"Anyway, she's a good baby. She's only just over two months old, so she isn't sleeping through the night yet, but she's a happy baby and has everyone who knows her wrapped around her little finger—including the chief," I said with a laugh. "Charlie hates putting her down and is already making plans to take her out on the boat to fish when she's a bit older. He bought her a little fishing pole and everything. It's twice as tall as she is, but he's not worried. She'll grow into it, which I can't wait to—"

My voice broke as I realized I might never see her grow into the fishing pole, let alone grow into an adult. I began to sob, the venom stinging my eyes, as Edward pulled me into his arms. We sank to the ground with me on his lap, and he held me as I let out the grief and fear I'd been holding in for what seemed like weeks.

"Shh, love," he murmured, one hand on my lower back, the other stroking my hair soothingly. "We'll figure something out, I promise."

We sat there for a few minutes, Edward keeping me calm, until I stood and held out my hand.

"Ready to keep walking?"

Taking it, he smiled and hopped up.

As we walked, questions ran continuously through my head. I was very glad he couldn't read my mind, because it was a mass of confusion at the moment. I wanted to ask him how he would feel about Lizzie, but until we figured out if it was even possible for me to remain in her life, there was no point. He wouldn't be in her life if I wasn't. I wanted to ask if he wanted _me_ in his life, but I didn't want to hear yes now, only to be rejected again later if he realized he didn't want me and Lizzie as a package deal. So instead of asking anything, I just stayed quiet, leaning my head on his arm as we walked.

Once we were turned around and headed back in the direction of the house, Edward stopped and tilted his head. "They're ready when we are," he said softly.

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "I guess there's no point in putting it off."

On the one hand, I was anxious to hear what they had come up with. On the other, though, I was scared to hear that they'd decided it was too risky and I had to leave Forks as planned.

Edward tugged my hand, bringing me to a stop again. "Isabella, look at me," he said, firm, but full of emotion.

When I finally brought my eyes to his, he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine.

"Whatever they tell us, we'll deal with it together. You aren't alone anymore."

I nodded, closing my eyes and kissing him once more. "I love you, Edward," I whispered against his lips.

"As I, you, my Bella," he echoed. "When you're ready..." He motioned forward.

I swallowed once and then turned to lead the way back to the house.

When we got back into the living room, everyone—including Carlisle and Eleazar—were in the living room. Most were seated around the room on the floor, but Esme was back on the couch, and Carmen was perched daintily on the only other chair in the room. Carlisle and Eleazar were standing beside their wives, conversing quietly until we took our seats.

"A shield?" Edward asked, looking at Eleazar.

"Wanna clue the rest of us in?" I teased, rolling my eyes. "Especially since it concerns me."

"Sorry, love," he murmured, looking properly chastised.

"See, we've had to deal with that for decades." Emmett snorted. "With Miss 'I See-It-All' and Mr. 'I Hear-It-All' over there, the rest of us don't stand a chance." Then he looked at Carlisle. "Do we have another _fun_ talent to deal with?" His emphasis on the word fun made it clear he thought they were anything _but_ fun.

I showed him my middle finger, mouthing an apology to Esme, who was trying to hide her smile, and then looked at Carlisle.

After a moment, he finally said, "We're...not sure."

_Wow,_ I thought, feeling frustrated and more confused than I'd ever felt before. All that, and all we'd gotten was, "We're not sure." Rather than saying that aloud, I asked, "What does that mean?"

Eleazar spoke then, looking at me directly. "I believe you're what would be considered a shield, Isabella."

I could feel my forehead puckering in thought, my mind whirling, even as I answered something automatic to me. "Bella," I murmured, trying to figure out what he meant by _shield_.

"Bella," he repeated, smiling slightly. "It isn't something I've run into often; in fact, the only other one I can recall is with the Volturi, in Italy."

"You may not remember, Bella," Edward said quietly into my ear, "but I mentioned them once...before."

Search my memory, I vaguely recalled a conversation we'd had while watching "Romeo and Juliet." It was that same conversation where he'd told me of his plans to run to them once I'd passed away. I nodded for them to continue.

"So what _does_ that mean?" Emmett asked, echoing my earlier sentiment, clearly irritated at how long it was taking to get to the point.

"It means that this is virtually unknown," Carlisle said. "Being a shield may be why Bella's safe from Edward's talent. It's a direct mental talent using her brain, like Edward's, but unlike Alice's and Jasper's, which are more physical for Jasper and...however Alice's works, which is why their talents work on Bella, and not Edward's."

"From what Bella, Jasper, and Alice described," Eleazar continued, "being a shield may be why she was able to resist the smell of human blood, even as a newborn, but I have another theory on that, as well.

"I brought several of my oldest books with me, and Carlisle and I did some research. We didn't find conclusive proof, but from a few of the stories we read, we think some of Bella's resistance to Lizzie and Charlie specifically is because they are of the same family. From the things I read, familial blood may be...unappealing to a vampire."

My entire body prickled with nervous anticipation, the need for fight or flight nearly overtaking me. This was it...the moment I'd been both waiting for and dreading. _Please, God,_ I prayed silently, _let it be..._

"What that means," Carlisle said quietly, "is that Alice's visions may be right. Bella may be able to handle being around her daughter and Charlie."


	15. Chapter 15

**Bella's POV**

"Are you sure about this?" I hissed to the group, although my main focus was on Alice, Carlisle, and Eleazar.

Edward was holding my hand as the small group of us stood just inside the forest at the back of Charlie's property. He gave it a reassuring squeeze and looked to his sister, who nodded.

"The visions haven't changed, Bella," Alice promised, smiling excitedly as she stood near Carlisle and Eleazar.

Edward, Jasper, and Emmett were on either side of and behind me, ready to grab me if things didn't go as planned. They would go with me up to the window, while the other three stayed behind in the trees, ready to assist if needed—but they were really there to watch my reactions.

After Carlisle and Eleazar had finally come up with the idea of my being a shield and the familial blood playing a part in how I'd reacted the last time, the family had wasted no time. Edward had called Jake and told him what Carlisle and Eleazar had told us and let them know of our plans. Then, as soon as it was completely dark, the seven of us had gone hunting. We'd come straight here after I'd gorged myself on two large deer.

"Ready, love?" Edward asked quietly, squeezing my hand once more. "You can do this, Bella. We all know you can."

I took a deep breath and slowly let it out before nodding. "I'm ready," I said, my voice shaky. I knew this was a big step. If the last time was just an aberration, peeking in on my daughter and Charlie could spell disaster. If it wasn't, it could be the first step in knowing whether or not I could stay with my family. "Let's do this."

"All right!" Emmett said enthusiastically. "Up we go!" Like a monkey, he scaled the tree, moving into the leaves a few branches up from the window. "Come on up, lil' sis!" he called. Six voices shushed him, and for a moment, he looked solemn, zipping his lips before he grinned again, waving at me to come up.

I looked at Edward and smiled nervously before taking my first step out of the trees and into the dark yard.

With one hand from both Edward and Jasper on me—my lower back and shoulder respectively—we walked to the tree at the side of the house.

"I'll go first," Jasper said quietly, patting my shoulder once. "You'll do fine, Bella. Relax. I can feel your tension, and this won't tell us everything if you don't loosen up some."

"You'll keep me from..." I broke off, not even wanting to vocalize the horrific thought.

"They will be safe," he promised. "We won't let anything happen—to them _or_ you."

I nodded and then watched as Jasper scaled the tree in front of us. Once he was hidden from the street in the branches, Edward began to climb, and I was right behind him. I was so scared—of losing control and hurting them, sure, but I was just as scared that this wouldn't work and I'd be told I had to leave my daughter for good.

"The baby—Lizzie," Emmett corrected himself, "isn't in the bedroom. I think they're downstairs."

We'd all known that, but it was good to get confirmation.

"How's your throat?" Edward asked, looking at me as we sat perched in the darkness.

I shrugged. "I can feel the burning, but not really any worse than before," I answered, looking up at Jasper when Edward did.

Jasper didn't say anything, but Edward nodded.

"Hey! Let us in on the secret," Emmett grumbled.

"Sorry," Edward said, turning to me. "Jasper just told me he doesn't feel any extra thirst coming from you or anything unusual—or usual, I guess, for a newborn."

I nodded, and then we were quiet as we heard something from inside.

Footsteps.

A minute later, Charlie walked into my room, carrying Lizzie, who was wrapped in one of her light pink baby blankets. She was quiet, but I could tell from her heartbeat that she was awake.

"Okay, Lizzie-bear," Charlie murmured softly. "You're clean and fed. Time to sleep."

My still heart flopped in my chest as he sat down in the rocker and reached over to the CD player I kept on the small table beside the chair. Unless he'd changed it, I knew what was in there.

"Edward," I started, ignoring the others and speaking only to him, "I—"

Whatever else I'd been going to say didn't matter, because when the first note played out softly from the speakers, his hold on my hand tightened and he turned to look at me with wide eyes.

"That was in the player," Edward murmured, glancing at the window and back to me. "You play it for her often?"

I smiled. "Every night. I started when I was about five months pregnant, when I was trying to get to sleep and she was active and wouldn't let me. It...calmed her down. It still does."

We were quiet as we all turned back to the window and watched Charlie rock Lizzie. From the angle we were at, we couldn't see anything but the top of her head above Charlie's shoulder as he held her up on his chest. But for now, it was enough.

After a few minutes, Edward stiffened. "Alice?" he growled softly.

She must have replied in her head, because he relaxed slightly, but still tightened his hold on my hand.

"What?" I asked, looking at him. "What's wrong?"

"I hear Sue," he replied, glancing up at Jasper. "She's about two blocks from the house. Apparently, she had to run out and get a new package of diapers."

"And Alice?" I looked behind us to the trees where the others were hidden.

"She assures me nothing's changed," Edward said.

I dug my fingers into the tree, feeling the gouges I was making in the bark.

I heard Sue before I could smell her—her heart beating rhythmically in her chest, the song she was humming under her breath, her seat belt as she unlatched it once she was parked in the driveway. Just before she opened the door, I held my breath, suddenly even more unsure.

"Breathe, love," Edward coaxed. "We're right here with you."

I nodded and carefully took my first breath when I heard the door creak open on Sue's old Dodge.

Her scent immediately filled the night air and invaded my lungs. I felt the flames lick my throat and the venom pool in my mouth. My body was urging me to move around to the front of the house, to take her and drink the blood pulsing through her veins that would soothe the fire in my throat, but with a swallow, I steeled my resolve and stayed put in my spot on the large branch. When the front door of the house shut behind her, I opened my eyes, not realizing until that moment that I'd closed them.

"How ya doin', Bells?" Emmett asked quietly.

"I'm...okay," I said. "It was harder than with Charlie and Lizzie, but I'm okay."

"Good job, Bella," Jasper said, patting my knee. "I knew you could do it."

Several minutes later, Sue walked quietly into the room, carrying the diapers.

"Is she out?" she asked Charlie quietly.

My dad nodded and handed Lizzie carefully up to Sue, who tucked the baby into her neck and moved to the crib.

When she was turning back, she looked up and out the window, directly into the tree where we were hiding. We froze, waiting to see what she would do, but she just nodded once and continued moving back to Charlie's side. Together, they walked out the door, closing it quietly behind them.

"What the hell?" Emmett asked. "Did she see us?"

Edward shook his head. "She figured we were out here. Jacob and Seth filled her in on what happened to Bella. She's worried, but she trusts them—even if she doesn't completely trust us."

Suddenly, it was all too much. I was feeling shaky and overwhelmed, and I needed to leave. Now.

"Edward," Jasper said, the warning clear in his tone. "She's losing it. Time to go."

"Come on, love," Edward said in a low, soothing voice. "Let's go back to the house, okay?"

I nodded, taking his hand, and then leapt to the ground with him, landing lightly on the balls of my feet.

Emmett and Jasper were right behind us, and as we ran off through the darkness, I could hear Alice, Carlisle, and Eleazar shortly behind them. We were all quiet as we raced through the trees, but my mind was going about a million miles a minute, wondering what this last visit, and Sue's knowledge of what had happened to me, meant for me and my future with Lizzie.

As if he could suddenly read my mind, Edward squeezed my hand and said for my ears only, "Try not to worry, love. Remember, whatever happens, we'll get through it together."


	16. Chapter 16

**Bella's POV**

When we walked into the house, Rosalie, Esme, and Carmen looked up, curiosity written across their faces.

"Well?" Rose asked impatiently, glancing from me, to Edward, and finally to Carlisle. "What happened? Where are Alice and Jasper?"

Alice and Jasper had split off about halfway back to the house, claiming they were going hunting, but even without being a mind reader, I knew that wasn't all they were going to do. I just knew I didn't want to know more.

Carlisle answered her aloud and then asked everyone to take a seat so we could go over what had happened.

Edward pulled me down to the sofa between him and Esme, and he smiled when I reached down and joined our hands.

After relaying my reaction at Charlie's house to Carmen, Esme, and Rose, Carlisle said, "I think we need to speak to Jacob tomorrow. Sue knows about Bella, and I don't believe she's planning to say anything to Charlie—" he looked to Edward, who shook his head "—but it's still something we need to talk to the pack about."

"I do think we confirmed what we thought," Eleazar said, looking over at Carlisle.

"I do, as well," Carlisle agreed.

"So what does that mean?" I asked, looking over at the two men.

"It means we keep testing our theory," Eleazar explained, "and I get in contact with a few people who might know more."

"Yes!" Emmett cheered, pumping his hammy fist in the air. "More test drive Bella time!"

I rolled my eyes, and if the situation weren't so serious, I'd have giggled when Rose reached over and smacked the back of his head.

Edward glared at his brother and then turned to Eleazar. "Who do you think would know more? It's probably best not to involve the Volturi," he said, shaking his head. I could feel the tension rising in him at the mention of that group. "It's none of their business about Bella, and I don't want to draw attention to Charlie and Lizzie."

"No, of course not," Eleazar responded soothingly. "I was thinking more along the lines of Stefan and Vladimir."

"The Romanians?" Edward mused, obviously deep in thought as he nodded to himself. "Makes sense."

"Who are Stefan and Vladimir?" I asked Edward before turning my gaze to the others.

"They're brothers," Eleazar answered. "They've lived a long time—nearly three thousand years—and if anyone has any answers for us, they will."

"And they won't tell...the Volturi about anything?" I asked quietly, gripping Edward's hand. I didn't like the idea of involving them any more than Edward did. The Volturi seemed so remote and unfeeling.

"No, I don't believe they will. You see," Eleazar explained, "they don't like Aro and the others in Italy. It is the Volturi who killed the rest of the Romanian coven so long ago."

I nodded; for once in my newborn vampire life, I completely understood. That kind of loss was monumental and tragic. However, my own needs, and the needs of my daughter, kept me on task. "When will you contact them?" I asked impatiently.

Eleazar smiled gently at me. "I'll make arrangements to get in contact with them immediately. They don't have a phone, so I'll ask Kate and the others to go to them for me."

"How long will—"

Eleazar stood to leave, pulling out his phone, as Carlisle said softly, "It'll take a couple of days, unfortunately, Bella. It's quite a long flight there, and then they'll have to find the brothers. I'd say we should hear from them in two to three days."

My heart ached in my chest. For three more days, my life would be on hold. I wanted so badly to know the answer, to know if my daughter would be safe with me. Yet again, a roadblock had been thrown in my path...but this one didn't seem so insurmountable.

I sighed, frustrated, but nodded. "All right."

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Edward's POV**

Long after the new day was underway, Bella asked me for my phone.

"Bella, are you sure you want to do this?" I asked softly. "If you don't, we'll find another way." I held her hand in mine as she fussed at her lower lip and stared at the phone worriedly.

Shaking her head, she finally said, "You heard them last night. We need to talk to Sue."

"It doesn't have to be n—"

"Yes, Edward," she interrupted, looking up at me and smiling sadly. "It does. You know Alice said this is my last chance today. It's already noon. Charlie's at work, but he'll be going home early and will be in for the rest of the day." She paused and took a shuddering breath. "I've put it off until now, and I can't do it anymore."

I wasn't sure what she was so worried about, but it was tearing me up inside to see her so...scared, I supposed. Worried didn't really cover the apprehensive look in her eyes.

I glanced around the empty living room, glad the rest of the family had given us pseudo-privacy by staying upstairs. Bella didn't need them gawking or obviously listening in. Finally, I nodded and pulled out my cell phone, dialing it for her. She was handling her newfound strength well and learning to control it far more quickly than any of the rest of us had, but she was worried about pushing too hard on the buttons and breaking it. When it began to ring, I handed it to her.

"Thanks," she whispered, taking the phone gently from me and putting it up to her ear.

"_Hello?"_ I heard Sue's voice say over the speaker by Bella's head.

"H-Hi, Sue," Bella stammered, squeezing my hand with her free one.

"_Bella!"_ The exclamation was loud; Sue sounded truly surprised to hear from her. _"Jacob and Seth told me what happened. Where are you? What happened? I mean, I know, obviously, but what's going on? Oh, Bella,"_ she finished with a sigh, barely able to stop from rambling.

As Bella explained that she was here with me and my family, I half-tuned them out and listened to the thoughts from the rest of my family. Carlisle was in his study, where he and Eleazar had planted themselves hours before. Carmen and Esme were in the bedroom she shared with Carlisle, reading and talking. My siblings were in their respective rooms, as well.

"_So what are your plans?"_ Sue asked Bella hesitantly.

"I'd planned to go to Alaska," Bella answered softly. "The Cullens have some friends that live out in the...wilderness, I guess, so I thought I could find someplace away from any humans until it was safe."

"_You said you'd planned to go? What changed? Jacob tried explaining, but I have to admit to being slightly confused."_

I watched Bella bite her lip, looking to me with a raised eyebrow. She then put her hand over the phone carefully and asked me, "Is it all right if I tell her more about Alice and her gift?"

"Of course, Bella," Alice called from upstairs.

Bella rolled her eyes and uncovered the phone again. "Alice, Edward's sister, has a talent. She's...psychic," she explained to Sue, pausing when Sue's breath caught. "It's based on decisions people make. Apparently, she's had several visions of me..." She closed her eyes and swallowed hard before continuing. "She's had several visions of me rocking Lizzie."

"_Bella,"_ Sue said, fear heavy in her voice. _"Are you sure that's safe? What if..."_

Bella took a deep breath and said, "I know, Sue. I promise, it's not something any of us are taking lightly. Carlisle and an old friend of his believe there are several things working in my favor. If we feel like Lizzie—or you or Charlie, even—are in any danger, I won't come near the house, you have my word."

There was a pause, and then Sue said, _"I hope—for your sake and hers—that your Alice knows what she's talking about. Lizzie misses you. We all miss you. Your dad... Well, your dad knows something isn't right. He wants to talk to you so badly, Bella. Do you think you could..."_

Bella gripped my hand hard enough for it to hurt, and I shut off everything else, focusing completely on her conversation with Sue.

"Please, Sue. I can't talk to him right now. I... Just tell him I said I called when I knew he'd be at work because I need some space, and if I heard his voice..." She trailed off, looking at me with eyes so full of sorrow, I felt my still heart breaking.

"_All right, Bella,"_ Sue said with a sigh. _"I'll tell him. Good luck, sweetheart."_

"Thanks, Sue," Bella said sadly. "Take good care of Lizzie and Charlie, okay? I'll call you...sometime soon."

I heard a faint cry in the background, and then there was a click as Sue quickly hung up the phone.

Bella's resolve crumbled and she turned to me, sobbing tearlessly into my shirt as I gathered her into my arms.

I understood then, the fear that she'd had and the longing she must feel. I thought of telling her everything would be okay, that we would get through it. But as sure as I was that it would—that _we_ would—I knew that wasn't what she needed right then. Nothing would be okay in her world until we knew for certain. Until then, I would continue doing just what I was doing now—holding her and trying to protect her from the pain as much as I could.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Bella's POV**

A while after I got off the phone with Sue, Edward sat up and looked toward the stairs.

"What is it?" I asked, feeling his tension.

"Alice had a vision," he murmured.

"Of?" I sat up, clenching my fists in my lap.

"I'm guessing wolves," he said, shaking his head. "All of us disappeared."

I held out the phone. "Call Jake?" I requested. "He'll be able to tell us."

Before Edward could reach out and take the phone, it rang. He took it from me and smirked, looking at the caller ID. "Too late," he said before flipping it open. "Hello, Jacob."

"_Hey, Edward,"_ Jacob said, his voice clear over the phone to everyone in the house. _"Listen, some of the pack have been...anxious to see Bella since the attack. Would it be okay if I came over with a few of them?"_

"Who?" I mouthed nervously, as the rest of the Cullens—along with Eleazar and Carmen—made their way into the living room.

"Who are you asking about?" Edward asked Jacob, squeezing my hand.

"_Seth, Quil, and Embry,"_ he answered. _"They're closest to Bella and have been worried about her. I said I'd need to ask you about them crossing the border between our lands first."_

I swallowed nervously, but I was excited at the prospect of seeing my friends again.

Raising an eyebrow, Edward asked me silently for my opinion.

"I, uh...yeah, that would be good," I murmured.

His eyes flickered around the room to see if there were any objections, and when none came, he said into the phone, "That would be fine, Jacob. You do remember we have guests, correct?"

"_Yes,"_ Jacob said in response. _"They're...like you, correct?"_

Edward smirked. "If you mean vegetarian, yes. They only feed from animals, as well."

"All right," Jacob said. "We'll be there in a few."

As Edward hung up the phone, I tried to smile, but it may have come across as a grimace instead, because Emmett growled. "Just let us know if we need to scare 'em off, Bella," he said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking grim.

Shaking my head, I said quickly, "No, Emmett, it's not that. They're my friends. It's just..." I sighed. "I haven't seen Quil or Embry since..." I motioned up and down my body to show him that I meant since I'd been changed.

A few minutes later, Edward squeezed my hand. "They're here. Are you all right to see them?"

I smiled and looked around at the rest of the family. "I'll be fine." Then I looked at Carlisle. "Will I need to go outside and say hello?"

"No, Bella," he assured me. "They're your friends; they're most certainly welcome inside."

I smiled my thanks as a knock sounded at the front door.


	17. Chapter 17

**Bella's POV**

I waited nervously on the couch with Edward while Carlisle went to the front door to let in the wolves. The guys themselves didn't scare me; their possible reactions to the new me scared me.

Emmett and Jasper moved into a protective stance behind me, arms crossed over their chests as they tried to look intimidating.

"Give it up, you guys," I grumbled, rolling my eyes as I looked back at them. "They aren't gonna hurt me."

"They just want to show the wolves you have the entire family's support," Edward murmured, his eyes flickering to his brothers and then back to me.

_Oh._ I nodded to show I understood and then turned back to the entry. I appreciated their support—it felt good to have the family at my back if I needed them—but this time, it was unwarranted. These guys were my friends; they would never hurt me.

"Hello, Jacob," Carlisle said from the foyer. "You must be Seth, Quil, and Embry. Please, come in."

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen," Jake said.

There were mumbled greetings from Quil and Embry—including an introduction since they hadn't met Carlisle personally—and an enthusiastic "Hi!" from Seth, just before Carlisle stepped around the doorway, the guys all falling in behind him.

"Bella!" Seth called, rushing over to me.

Emmett and Jasper grumbled, making moves to come around the couch, but they stopped when I jumped out of my seat and threw myself into Seth's arms.

"Hey, Seth," I mumbled into his shoulder as he hugged me tight. Then, I pulled away and laughed. "Man, you reek."

I hadn't noticed it with either Jake or Seth before. I suppose I'd been too caught up in everything else going on. But now, with four wolves in one small room, it suddenly smelled...overpowering, almost.

Seth chuckled and took an exaggerated whiff of my hair. "You aren't coming up roses, either, Bells."

Pulling away, I looked at Quil and Embry, who were hovering in the doorway, warily watching the gathered vampires. My eyes stung as I blinked away the tears that would never fall, and I smiled, waving. I wasn't sure how they would react, and I didn't want to push by launching myself at them like I had Seth.

"Hey, Bells," Quil said, giving me a nervous smile. He glanced around at the Cullens and their visitors before asking, "How are you, honey?"

"I'm...hanging in there," I said honestly. "Thank you guys for coming. I've missed everyone."

Embry stepped forward tentatively. "We've, uh...missed you, too, B," he said, opening his arms.

I moved to him and wrapped him in a hug, trying hard to temper my strength so I didn't hurt him.

Quil must have felt better about approaching me, because when Embry stepped back, he pulled me in for the kind of hug only Quil could give. Even Jake's warm hugs weren't like Quil's—all heated cotton and muscle. Something about it had always been different, since the first time he'd hugged me after Lizzie was born. I didn't know what the difference was, but his hugs always made me feel better. If he'd been a vampire, I think he'd have been similar to Esme—not really a talent, per se, but a general feeling of empathy and compassion. It almost radiated from him, even as a wolfy human.

Carlisle made introductions for the visitors from Denali. "Eleazar, Carmen, this is Jacob Black, Alpha of the local shape shifter pack, Bella's stepbrother, Seth Clearwater, Quil Ateara, and Embry Call." Turning to the wolves, he gestured to the strange vampires. "This is Eleazar and Carmen Denali. They'e friends of ours from Alaska and have come down to help answer some questions regarding Bella."

The wolves looked nervously at Carmen and Eleazar, who looked just as tense as they watched the huge young men; everything appeared to be at an impasse. However, after a moment, they all nodded to one another, and I led the guys farther into the room.

"Emmett, Jasper," Esme started, "could you please grab the chairs from the dining room? There's no need for everyone to have to sit on the floor." She smiled at the wolves in a friendly, welcoming manner, attempting to ease the tension in the way only she could. "Please, make yourselves comfortable."

Seth followed me back to the couch and shook Edward's hand, saying a quiet hello, before sitting down on the other side of me. Quil and Embry kept standing near the doorway, obviously still a touch uncomfortable being surrounded by vampires, but Jake took one of the chairs from Emmett with a nod of thanks and settled in on the far side of the room.

Once everyone was situated, I couldn't wait any longer. "How's Lizzie? Charlie?" I asked, looking at Jake.

He smiled gently. "They're okay, Bells. Lizzie's being well cared for—Sue and Emily have both been great with her."

I smiled in relief, hearing what I'd already known. Still, it was a comfort to hear it again.

Jacob continued, "Charlie is... Well, Charlie is Charlie. Since he saw your note and heard about your phone call, he hasn't been as panicked, but he's still worried and scared for you."

"Mom says he's sleeping a bit at night now," Seth said, joining the conversation. "At first, he wasn't really sleeping. When he wasn't out searching for you, he was home, holding Lizzie."

I nodded, worrying my bottom lip with my teeth. That sounded like Charlie. I felt terrible at how worried my dad must feel, and I wondered what he must think about me...how I'd simply taken off, leaving my newborn daughter. As my stomach churned, I silenced it. I couldn't worry about that, though; I had so much more I needed to face right now than my own guilt.

"Try to make him take care of himself," I begged softly, my feelings plain to be seen in my expression as I looked at Seth. "I'm sure your mom's on it, but tell him he needs to do it for her and Lizzie. If he doesn't..."

He picked up my free hand and squeezed it gently. "I will, Bells. I promise." Then, as if he wanted to take my mind off Lizzie and Charlie, he grinned and said, "Guess what happened to Leah?"

I raised an eyebrow in question. Leah had never been one of my biggest fans—although after the rape and Lizzie's birth, she'd been slightly less snarky.

"Just a couple of days after you went missing, when Charlie was bringing in extra people to help look for you, she was in on a search party with a cop from Seattle. One look, and she was a goner," he explained.

"She imprinted?" I gasped, my hand flying from his to my mouth.

Leah had been sure she would never imprint, since it was believed imprinting was only done to help further the wolves' legacy, and as a shape shifter, she couldn't shift _and_ carry a baby. Sue had told her never say never, because God worked in mysterious ways.

"What's he like?" I asked. "What's his name?"

Seth laughed. "Well..._her_ name is Jamie."

I felt my eyes nearly bug out of my head. "_Her_ name?"

He laughed again. "Yeah. Cute little redhead, twenty-eight years old. Jamie Simmons."

Shaking my head, I opened and closed my mouth a few times before finally asking, "Leah never said anything about being gay, did she?" I mean, it wasn't a big deal or anything, but...

"Nope," Jake said. "I don't think even she knew she could feel that way about a woman until it happened. It threw everyone for a loop, that's for sure."

I looked around the room, and most of the Cullens were either listening or talking amongst themselves quietly. I had no doubt that neither Rose, nor Alice or Jasper cared about the news at all. Emmett looked mildly interested, but I had a feeling it was just the thought of Leah and her new girlfriend together that had him half-listening to us and half to Rose. Edward was shaking his head as he looked between Emmett and the wolves, making me wonder what was going through their heads. Carlisle, Esme, Eleazar, and Carmen were simply listening, but not with any interest other than general politeness.

"What's that do to all the theories about imprinting?" I asked, still trying to wrap my head around Leah's situation and imprinting in general. "And what did Sam think?"

"He... You know, I don't know," Jake said, shrugging. "He and Emily are away, but I know they know. Sue called Emily, and I'm sure she told Sam. He doesn't shift anymore, so we haven't heard through the pack mind."

"Wow," I breathed, letting the whole thing absorb. "Well, if she's happy..."

Seth beamed. "She is. I was worried, but it's like a whole different Leah."

"Has she told Jamie about the whole—" I waved my hands at the four of them "—werewolf thing?"

"Yeah," Seth answered. "Leah told her yesterday. She apparently took it pretty well. She was best friends for a long time with a girl who's from the Puyallup Tribe in Tacoma, where Jamie's originally from. Even there, they have legends of shape shifters—although there aren't any there anymore that we know of. So she wasn't terribly surprised."

"What about you guys?" Alice asked curiously, looking at the wolves. "Have any of you...imprinted?"

Quil flushed, and even with his dark copper skin, it was clear to me. "I, uh...I have," he said.

"Ooh, tell us about her!" Alice said, smiling excitedly. "I love a good love story!"

I knew what was coming, and I wasn't sure how they would react, so I thought maybe it would be better coming from me. "Do you mind if I tell the story?" I spoke up quickly, looking at Quil.

He shook his head, motioning me to go ahead.

"First, you have to understand what the imprinting process is all about," I started. "It's definitely a love story, but not how you're thinking..."

I explained about how it wasn't necessarily a "romantic, fall immediately in love and lust" thing, that especially at first, it was about just being the person your imprint needed you to be, however they needed you—whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend, or a brother. "It can develop into something more if it didn't start out with the love and lust, but there's no guarantee. It's a driving force that tells you it's right, the need to be connected...showing you that person is yours to care for."

I paused. "When Quil met Emily's niece, Claire, he imprinted on her. She just turned three and a half, so right now, their relationship is nothing but brother and sister, or even best friends."

I could see the shock on everyone's faces. Jake obviously did, too, because he jumped in defensively to explain, "There isn't a toddler on the planet that will be more carefully looked after than that little girl will be. And then, when she's older and needs a friend, he'll be more understanding, trustworthy, and reliable than anyone else she knows. He'll be her perfect match. Like he was designed for her alone."

We lapsed into a sort of awkward silence after that. None of the vampires seemed to be sure of what to make of the idea of a teenager imprinting on a toddler.

"You should see him playing dress up and tea party," Embry finally said, grinning.

That broke the tension, and everyone laughed as Quil blushed even more and shook his head with a wry grin.

Carlisle finally spoke once the laughter had all died down. "How's your dad, Jacob? Is his diabetes still under control?"

I knew from talks with Jake that Billy wouldn't see Carlisle when they were living here, but I was sure Carlisle had found out about the disease and Billy's condition through word of mouth, since Billy saw a doctor there at the same hospital Carlisle had worked at.

"It is," Jake confirmed. "He has his bad days, but overall, he's doing well."

"Good," Carlisle said, smiling. "Dr. Porter is excellent at helping diabetic patients, so your father's in good hands."

I let my mind wander as conversations began flowing around us. I was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed. There were just so many people, so much noise, and I wasn't sure how to handle it all.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Edward look at Jasper and then over at me. He leaned over and nuzzled my neck before whispering directly into my ear, "Are you all right, love? Jasper said your emotions just kicked into high gear and you're feeling anxious."

"Mmm," I hummed. "Just...a little much."

"Want to get out of here?" he asked quietly, pulling away slightly to look into my eyes.

I did—I really, really did. "Yes, please," I said, feeling the tension ease slightly simply at the suggestion.

Edward smiled slightly and then stood, pulling me to my feet. "If you will excuse us," he said to the group.

"I need a break; it's been a huge day," I admitted, chewing softly on my bottom lip. "It was great to see you guys," I told Quil and Embry. "Thanks for coming over."

They immediately came over to me and wrapped me in quick hugs before pulling back.

"It was good to see you, too, Bells," Embry said. "We're only a phone call away if you need us, 'kay?"

I smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Em," I said, turning to Quil. "Give Claire a kiss for me, okay?"

He nodded before moving away so Seth could wrap me in his arms.

"I'll keep an eye on Charlie for you, I promise," he murmured into my ear, "and we'll talk soon."

"Thanks, Seth," I said in a choked voice.

"Call us if you hear any news, Bells," Jake said, tilting my head up so I was looking him in the eyes. "And call if you need _anything_. Like Embry said, we're just a phone call away."

I nodded and then watched as they all thanked Carlisle and Esme for having them and said goodbye to the rest of the group.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me toward the stairs. "Come on, love. Let's go up to my room for a while."

Until his touch, I hadn't even noticed I was trembling, shaking from stress and anxiety—which I didn't realize was even possible for a vampire; I guess I was just breaking new ground in all sorts of ways.

With a nod, I walked with Edward up the stairs, my fist clenching his shirt, as if to hold myself upright. Yeah, a break was definitely needed.


	18. Chapter 18

**Edward's POV**

I held Bella's hand all the way up to my room. It was the first time she'd have seen it since the night of her birthday party, just before I'd lied to her face and left her in the forest. I had no idea what the memories that room held would do the fragile grasp she had on her emotions right now. I did know that whatever happened, I wasn't going anywhere.

_Never again._

Pausing with my hand on the door knob, I looked over at her, wanting to make sure this was what she wanted. At her nod, I turned the knob and opened the bedroom door, revealing a sparsely furnished, but clean room. I realized immediately that Alice must have cleaned away the dust and opened the windows to air out the musty smell, as she had for the rest of the house.

"It...feels so empty," Bella said in a hushed voice. "No music, nothing on the walls or shelves."

She was right. It felt empty, except for...

"The couch," I said, pulling her over to it after gently closing the door behind us. "That's the only thing left. Everything else got packed."

"That's right," she murmured. "No bed."

"No..." I said, drawing the word out. "I've never needed one...before."

We settled onto the black leather couch, which faced the wall of windows.

"It's so beautiful out there," Bella said as she looked out into the sunlight. "I never... I mean, I knew it was pretty, with all the trees and stuff, but..."

"It's different now," I finished for her. "Yes."

She was settled against my side, turned sideways on the couch and tucked under my arms. Her fingers were lightly running over my arm, down to my hand, and around each digit before making their way back up to my elbow. It was like flames licking at my skin with every touch.

We were quiet a while, just listening to the quiet chatter of my family downstairs and the birds and other animals outside.

"What do you want for the future?" Bella asked suddenly. She was careful to keep her voice even and calm, but I could sense the underlying tension in not only her words, but her body, as she stilled and stiffened beside me. "Sorry, sorry," she huffed with a shake of her head and a nervous laugh. "I told myself now wasn't the time for that discussion. It just...came out. You don't have to answer."

I took a minute to answer, knowing from her reaction to her own blurted-out question just how important this was to Bella. "The easy answer to that," I started slowly, "is I want to be wherever you are, love. I meant it when I said I was never leaving you again. It was the biggest mistake in my long existence when I left you before. I don't plan on making that same mistake again." Reaching over, I held her hand as surely as she held my heart and met her gaze with my own. "Until you send me away, my place is right beside you."

For a brief moment, a flash of pure love shone in her eyes, but then her vision clouded and she pulled pulled away.

"A-And the hard answer?" she asked, her voice shaky. "What if... God, what if Alice is right and I d-don't have to l-leave Lizzie?"

I scooped Bella up and pulled her onto my lap so she was straddling me, holding her face gently, but firmly in the palms of my hands. My thumbs caressed her cheeks, moving slowly, as if I were wiping away non-existent tears.

"Then I'll be there however you want me to be for Elizabeth, for as long as you allow," I said firmly.

She lowered her eyes, looking anywhere but at me, as she whispered, "You won't c-care that she's...that her father was a r-ra—"

I shook my head, interrupting her before she could force out that ugly word. "Bella, she's _your_ daughter. _Yours_," I said firmly. "I already love her because of that. Who the donor was is of no consequence to me. If you'll allow it, I will be the best father your precious little girl could have."

With that declaration, Bella threw herself forward, pressing her lips to mine before I could make a sound. Her fingers tangled in the hair at the base of my neck, and she pressed her chest to mine, whimpering as her tongue darted out to trace my lips.

It took me less than a second to catch up, and I opened my mouth, allowing her entrance. As our tongues began to dance, I slipped my hands up the back of her shirt, desperate to feel her skin. The moment I touched her, she whimpered and rolled her hips above me, brushing her center against my erection through my jeans.

"Oh, God," she moaned softly into my mouth, repeating the motion with her hips.

"Bella," I murmured, echoing her moan.

"Take it off," she gasped, moving one hand to her shirt. "I want to feel you."

Her voice was begging, pleading. I knew there was no way I could resist her, so I pulled her away from me, silencing her with a quick kiss when she began to protest.

My hands went to the hem of her shirt, and I pulled it up and over her head in one smooth motion. She wasn't wearing a bra, so her breasts—just the perfect size for my hands—were immediately on display. Her nipples were a beautiful dusky pink, not too big, and just begging to be touched...licked.

With one more look at a nearly panting Bella, I slid my hands up her sides and around her front, cupping her breasts and feeling the weight of them in my palms.

"I've never..." I started, embarrassed to admit that this was the first time I'd touched a woman's breasts before.

Looking at me with so much want and need in her eyes that it nearly made me come right that moment, Bella moved her hands to mine and slowly...achingly slowly...squeezed, until I was massaging her flesh gently. Then, with a whimper, she closed our thumbs and forefingers around her nipples, showing me how to roll them between my fingers.

When I tried it on my own, she whimpered and rolled her hips again, pulling a groan from both of us.

She gripped my shirt and tugged. "More, Edward!" she pleaded, throwing the tattered remains of my shirt to the floor.

Looking at the pale skin of her throat, leading to the smooth, plump flesh of her chest, hardened me even more. I thrust my hips up as my lips descended, intent on kissing every inch of that creamy skin.

Just before I reached the peak of her breast, there was a pounding on the door to the bedroom, and my sister's mental and verbal voice finally penetrated the "Bella haze" I was engulfed in.

_Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! Stop right now! If you go any further, Bella's not going to react well!_

She immediately showed a flash of Bella having a panic attack—no, worse than a panic attack. She pushed herself off me, crying and shaking, sounding absolutely terrified, and jumped out the window, running off into the forest toward Forks.

"Break it up, you two," Alice called out teasingly for Bella's benefit. "At this rate, I'm gonna have to go shopping before tomorrow!"

I slowly lowered my hands, moving them around to Bella's lower back and pulling her against my chest before dropping a kiss to her shoulder.

"Sorry, love," I murmured. "Thank you, Alice."

Bella groaned, shaking her head. "She saw everything, didn't she?"

I chuckled. "She did."

I was debating whether or not to tell Bella about Alice's vision, when Alice thought to me again.

_Yes, you should,_ she said in her head. _She needs to know just as much as you do about that. If she finds out later that you knew, she won't like it._

I wondered for a moment if she'd seen a vision of that, too.

_No. I just know Bella. Tell her, Edward. You guys need to talk about it._

I cleared my throat and pulled back, picking her shirt up from the floor and tugging it over her head. "Love," I said softly, "we need to talk."

Bella stiffened and tried to scramble off my lap, but my arms locked around her, holding her in place. As a newborn, she was prone to overreaction, and I knew I needed to explain before she became even more upset.

"Alice...had a vision, Bella," I said, so quiet that no one downstairs couldn't hear.

She stopped struggling and chewed on her lower lip for a second, before asking, "Of?"

I explained about the vision of Bella's reaction had we gone any further, and with every word, Bella's face fell even more. By the end, she'd curled up on my lap and was still.

"Am I ever going to be back to normal?" she asked quietly. "I mean, it's been almost a year. I shouldn't have that reaction still."

I stroked the skin of her arm softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "It's been almost a year, but...this is the first time you've been...intimate since, correct?"

She nodded, burrowing her face in my bare chest. "He...was my first and only."

I felt a rush of hatred toward the animal who'd taken her virginity and her sense of well-being, and my desire for revenge started rising in my veins as quickly as my venom. But I couldn't think about that now. I had far more important things to deal with.

Calming myself, I continued to stroke her skin delicately, tenderly.

"Combine that with the stress of everything happening right now and the worry over Lizzie, and..." I let my voice trail off as I kissed the top of her head again. "Give it time, love. There's no rush."

Bella nodded again, sighing. "Thanks, Alice," she murmured just loud enough for my sister to hear her, holding me tight as she tried to relax.

We sat together in my room for hours, only speaking every few minutes. Bella explained how she'd caught her foot on the floorboard in her room, which had come loose again, when she was about four months pregnant. She must have seen my disgust at myself that I hadn't secured it better, because she'd assured me that she hadn't fallen. She'd also said that she'd never been more glad to be clumsy, because it had given her a piece of me back when she'd desperately needed it. I'd had no response to that, other than to hold her closer.

Most of the day after the wolves left was spent just like that—Bella on my lap, the two of us staring out into the woods, worrying, wondering... Neither of us was sure of the future at the moment. It all depended on what Tanya and Kate found in Romania and how Bella handled the next few visits to Charlie's house.

At one point, Carlisle had come into the room and updated us on that situation.

~*~FC~*~

"_Come in, Carlisle," I said softly before he could knock._

_Bella curled up more on my lap and looked up as Carlisle came in and stood just inside the door._

"_Hi, Bella," he said softly, smiling at her. "How are you, sweetheart?"_

_She shrugged. "I'm okay."_

"_Is there news?" I asked him, unable to get a clear reading on his thoughts._

_He nodded slowly. "Eleazar was able to get in touch with Tanya. She and Kate are on their way to Romania now."_

_Seeing the apprehension in his eyes, I said, "Tanya and Kate... Not Irina?"_

"_No," he answered. "Irina is...upset right now that her mate was killed."_

"_Her mate?" Bella asked, sitting up a bit._

_I frowned, hating to bring all of this up, but I knew it was unavoidable. "Laurent."_

"_Laurent was Irina's mate?" Bella asked, sitting all the way up then. "I mean, I knew he'd gone up there, but I guess I didn't realize he and Irina had become a couple. But...he..." She shook her head, like she was trying to process the new information._

"_Yes, well, Irina claims he was her mate—even if he left and took up with Victoria again. She refused to go to Romania," Carlisle explained._

_It was then he let some of his thoughts slip. Eleazar had told him Irina had said some some rather unpleasant things about Bella and that it would be a cold day in hell before she went out of her way to help the woman who had gotten her mate killed—and by extension, us._

_I growled softly at her audacity._

"_What?" Bella asked, looking over at me nervously._

_Carlisle looked apologetic as he told her the things Eleazar had relayed to him._

"_And now she's angry at your family?" Bella frowned. "I'm so sorry," she said softly, looking down at her lap. "I don't mean to get in the middle of everyone like that."_

~*~FC~*~

Bella was feeling extremely guilty, even though we'd both told her repeatedly that it wasn't her fault—that it was no one's fault but Laurent's. I hoped that over time, she would realize we'd only spoken the truth.

The sun had set and the stars were out the next time our little bubble of peace and alone time was interrupted.

"Bella?" Esme said softly, poking her head in. "Alice said now would be a good time to go to Charlie's, if you'd like. I would like to go, if you're all right with that."

Bella looked up and smiled at the woman who'd become like a second mother to her before—and who hoped to fill that position again.

"Of course, Esme," she said with a smile. "I would like that."

Esme took a step into the room and held out a T-shirt. "Alice said you needed this, Edward," she told me with a knowing look.

Bella looked like she wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out, and I knew if she'd been human still, her face would've been a lovely shade of pink.

"Thanks," I told Esme, squeezing Bella's waist. "We'll meet you all downstairs."

Esme smiled and closed the door behind her as she left the room.

"Ready, love?" I asked, kissing her temple softly.

She nodded and slid off my lap, straightening her clothes as I pulled on the new T-shirt. Once I was dressed, she took my hand, and together, we walked down the stairs to meet the group going with us to Charlie's.


	19. Chapter 19

**Edward's POV**

The next three days seemed to crawl by. Every night, Bella and I made a trip to Charlie's house, accompanied by various members of the family. Her control around Lizzie and Charlie was still the same as it had been at the beginning, and she seemed to be getting used to Sue's scent as well, although her blood still made the burn in Bella's throat worsen. The days were split between time alone, just us catching up, and time with my family.

Bella and Esme were sitting on the couch, talking quietly while they watched my brothers and me install the new window to replace the one I'd broken. Emmett and Jasper had gone early this morning to get the new pieces of glass and everything we'd needed to fix it. Even with our vampire abilities, it still took more than one person to do everything needed to install new glass—especially in a window as large as the one in the living room.

As I worked, I recalled one particular conversation that made me realize how precious the time alone was for both of us, because it solidified the relationship we were beginning to rebuild. Neither of us had stopped loving the other, which helped a lot, but some setbacks still needed to be overcome. Even though Bella had said multiple times since I'd arrived in Forks that she'd forgiven me, she still had some trust issues. The day after Eleazar sent Kate and Tanya to Romania, something I said had set her off, and she'd exploded in anger.

~*~FC~*~

"_Come on, love," I said._

_We were hunting, and when I told Bella she could leap from tree to tree to avoid scaring the animals on the ground, she'd balked at me, like I just wanted her to fall or look like a clumsy human again._

"_Don't you trust me?" I asked, teasing her as we ran through the forest._

_Bella skidded to a stop immediately, leaving me a good twenty yards ahead of her before I realized. When I turned back, her hands were fisted at her sides, she was panting for breath, and I'd never seen such anger on her face and in her stance._

"_Do. I. Trust. You?" she growled, her tone strangled. She seemed to be barely holding onto her control. "You left me, Edward." When I opened my mouth to interrupt, she held up a hand. "I get it. I really do. But what I don't get is that you lied to me. You took my trust and shattered it. You said awful, terrible things and broke my heart."_

"_Bella, I—"_

"_Don't," she hissed, interrupting my explanation. "I know. You did it because you knew I wouldn't let you go any other way. That does _not_ change the fact that you lied to me. Forgive me if my instincts to trust you are shaky."_

_For a moment, I was so shocked that I couldn't say a word. If I were human, I'd have paled even more than I was already, and I was certain that my eyes were as wide as those of the deer we hunted. I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest as I feared the worst. Confusion rolled through me. Hadn't she... Hadn't..._

"_But you said..." I stopped, watching her almost crumple before my eyes._

_Bella gave a hiccuping sob, her shoulders falling and her hands relaxing. "I'm s-sorry," she said on a gasping breath._

Fool,_ I scolded myself. _Idiot._ She'd been through so much, and my careless remark had brought back unnecessary pain. She had every right to question, every right to feel afraid. Briefly, emotionally, I felt like the teenager I'd been when I was changed—unsure, lacking sophistication and wisdom._

_To make matters worse, I was standing there like a dunce, worried about my own state._

_I crossed the short distance to her in a few steps and wrapped her in my arms, holding her to me. "No, love," I said, dropping to the floor of the forest with her in my lap. "I'm the one who's sorry. This will take time. I know that. We'll work through it, I promise."_

_She buried her face in my neck and mumbled, "You won't go anywhere? No matter what?"_

_Tilting her head up with one finger so she was looking me in the eyes, I shook my head. "Never again, Isabella. Never again will I give you cause to doubt me or my word. You are my life. I don't think I could leave again, even if I wanted to—which I most certainly do not." I cupped her face in my hands, brushing my thumbs across her cheeks. "Do you understand? I'll earn back every bit of your trust, even if it takes me the rest of my existence."_

_She leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine, sighing into my open mouth as we kissed._

~*~FC~*~

That had been two days ago. The breakdown had been cathartic for her, she'd told me the next day as we lay together on my couch as the sun rose. She was bottling up so many things that her emotions sometimes eluded her control. I'd assured her that we all thought she was doing ridiculously well, so she had nothing to apologize for. Newborn emotions were hard to control even in the best of times, and with everything going on, these were far from the best of circumstances.

Shortly after that, I'd heard Alice's voice in my head, telling me Tanya and Kate had arrived in Bucharest. Between getting things squared away with Irina at home, hunting, and making some phone calls to gather information, they'd taken a day to leave Alaska. Unfortunately, their phone calls hadn't yielded much, so they weren't sure how long it would take to find Stefan and Vladimir. The only vision Alice was having of the brothers or Kate and Tanya was fuzzy, so all she could tell us was that they would meet up sometime in the next week.

As she watched us finish repeairing the window, Bella was tense and anxious, waiting for word. The only time she left the house was to hunt, which Carlisle and I were still insisting she do once a day or more, just to be safe, and that was usually just before our visits Charlie's house.

As soon as the last piece of putty was in place, a vision in Alice's head caught my attention, and I froze, watching as it played.

"Charlie," Alice groaned.

Bella jumped up and rushed over to Alice. "What about Charlie?" she asked quickly, having seen Alice freeze with the vision.

"He's coming here," I said, letting Emmett take over for me at smoothing out the putty around the edges of the new window.

"_What?"_ Bella cried. "When?"

Everyone else looked worriedly at Alice for an answer.

"He just got a phone call from someone who saw Jasper and Emmett at the store buying supplies. He's coming out here to see if we're back. He suspects Bella's here with us," she explained, grimacing.

"H-How do you want to do this?" Bella asked. "Should I go hide away from the house where I can't smell him?" Her voice was small...nervous.

"Nah, Bells," Emmett said, turning around from the now-complete window. "We can all hang out upstairs. This'll be another good test drive." He grinned, looking proud of himself.

"I can't be in the same house with him!" Bella said, shaking her head adamantly.

"Sure you can," he told her. "You can smell him just as easily through the glass of the window as you can from upstairs in Edward's room. Besides, if you expect to be able to rock Lizzie again," he continued, his voice softer, more serious now, "you're going to have to learn if you can be in the same house—and eventually the same room—as Charlie without wanting to..."

"What?" Bella said, sounding sarcastic. "Eat him?"

"Well, yeah," Emmett said with a shrug. "Not exactly how I was gonna phrase it, but that works."

"It'll be fine, love," I said, walking to her and taking her hand. "We'll be right beside you. We won't let anything happen to Charlie, all right?"

She finally nodded. "What will you tell him?" Before anyone could speak, she held up a hand and shook her head. "Never mind. Don't tell me."

Looking over at me, she asked quietly, "Can we go upstairs now?"

I nodded, holding my hand out for her. "Come, love," I said, pulling her gently with me toward the stairs. "The others will come up when Charlie arrives."

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Bella's POV**

Edward and I lay together on the couch in his room, not speaking. We listened to the sounds of his family downstairs. Carmen and Eleazar had opted to get out of the house while Charlie was there, figuring he was going to have enough questions as it was.

"What story are they gonna give Charlie?" I asked, my mind buzzing with worry and curiosity.

"Carlisle believes in telling the truth as much as he can," Edward answered. "He's planning to tell Charlie they're considering moving back, that Esme wasn't happy in California, and they came to check on the house and a job at the hospital."

I nodded against his chest. "And the window?"

"It was broken when they got here," he said, confirming my thoughts. "All the mess has been cleaned up, so there's no way to tell how it was broken. He shouldn't be suspicious."

Nodding again, I fell silent once more. Edward's hands were soothing as he stroked my head, running his fingers through my hair. It was as close to sleeping as I'd been since my change.

"It's time, love," Edward said nearly an hour later. "Alice said he'll be here in two minutes."

I sat up, worrying my bottom lip in my teeth as Edward wrapped me up in his arms.

"It'll be fine, Bella," he said softly. "I promise."

"He's right, Bella," Alice chirped as she, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett came into the room. "I've seen it." She tapped her temple and smiled.

Emmett and Jasper took up sentry on either side of the door, and Rose and Alice got comfortable on the floor.

"You need a bed in here," Rose said, looking around at the close to empty room.

If I could've blushed, I would have.

Rose laughed quietly. "For that, too, Bella, but I meant just so we had somewhere to sit."

"It'll be here on Monday," Alice said, grinning cheekily.

I laughed, despite my nervousness over Charlie.

"All right, Bella," Edward said, interrupting my amusement at his sister's presumptuousness. "He's here."

I listened and realized I could hear Charlie's cruiser turning into the Cullens' long drive. My mind went blank and my breathing automatically stopped, as if I knew I should avoid smelling him.

"Breathe, love," Edward murmured into my ear. "Just like at Charlie's house, remember?"

"But what if I—"

"You won't," he assured me. "We won't let you."

Nodding, I slowly took my first breath in as I heard the car door slam.

There was some shuffling of fabric, like Charlie was brushing out his clothes after having been in the vehicle, and then footsteps. Each one of the steps leading up to the front door sounded heavy, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

I gripped Edward's hand in mine as Charlie gave an exhausted, harsh sigh and then knocked on the front door.

I heard footsteps moving toward the door and then Carlisle's voice as he greeted my father.

"Chief Swan!" he said, sounding surprised. "Please, come in."

I heard more shuffling and footsteps and looked up at Edward. "What's he thinking?" I asked quietly.

Edward smiled slightly. "It's hard to get a read on him. He's not nearly as clear as most humans. Right now, he's looking around, trying to figure out where everyone else is, wondering if anyone else is here."

I nodded and then turned my attention back to what I could hear from downstairs.

"Oh!" Esme said, genuine pleasure lighting up her words. "Hello, Chief Swan. It's good to see you. Can I get you something to drink? I'm afraid all we have is water at the moment."

"No, ma'am," he responded. "And please, call me Charlie."

"Charlie, then," Esme said sweetly.

There was a moment of silence, where they only sounds were Charlie's heart beating and his breathing, both even, although slightly fast.

"What can we do for you, Charlie?" Carlisle asked. "Is there a problem? Some trouble about?"

"No," my dad said. "This is more of a social call."

There was no noise, so I assumed that Carlisle and Esme nodded.

Charlie's voice was gruff as he asked, "Where's all your family? Someone mentioned seeing two of your boys at the hardware store this morning?" It wasn't really a question, but from the way he'd said it, I could tell he was fishing for information.

"Yes, unfortunately, the window had been broken and needed replacing," Carlisle said. "Emmett and Jasper are out hiking at the moment. Edward stayed behind in California with Alice and Rosalie, at school."

"Oh, uh, Edward..." Charlie cleared his throat. "Edward isn't here, then?"

I squeezed Edward's hand, feeling him press a kiss to my temple.

"No," Esme said innocently. "He had a couple of tests he couldn't miss. Emmett and Jasper had a break from classes and wanted to come up with us to check on the house."

"So this is just a visit, then?"

Carlisle answered this time. "We're considering moving back to Forks," he said.

I could hear Charlie's heart sputter once at that admission. "Everyone?" he asked Carlisle.

"Well, the children would continue with their schooling, transferring to the university in Seattle, but yes, my wife and I haven't been happy with California."

"It's too crowded and big," Esme exclaimed, and even I could hear the ring of truth to her words. "I much prefer small-town living."

Charlie was quiet for another moment before asking, "Have you been in town long?"

When Carlisle answered that they'd gotten into town late the night before, Charlie's heart skipped a beat, and then he let out a breath.

"Is everything okay, Charlie?" Esme asked, concern lacing her voice. "You look upset."

It took everything I had not to rush downstairs and throw myself into his arms. I didn't want him worried and upset. I'd already put him through so much. Only Edward's hand in mine kept me grounded and in my spot on the couch.

"Since you just got back to town, I don't know if you've heard the news, but Bella has been missing," Charlie said, the worry in his voice evident.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Esme said, her tone genuinely compassionate.

"Any leads?" Carlisle asked sympathetically.

"Afraid not," Charlie answered, and I could hear him swallow convulsively. "Considering the history she had with your boy, I'd hoped..."

My chin began to quiver, and my heart ached in my chest. My dad and I had been through so much, and we had a great rapport with one another, and now...

He didn't deserve this. _We_ didn't deserve this.

"That's understandable," Carlisle answered. "I'm sorry we can't help you."

"Is there anything else we can do?" Esme asked, and I could just imagine her placing a hand on his arm in support.

His voice was gruff as he replied, "Just call if you see her, Mrs. Cullen. Thank you." There was another shuffling noise. "I'd better go."

We listened as they all walked to the front door.

Once it was opened, Charlie said in a hushed tone, "If you see Bella, please tell her to come home."

He didn't give Carlisle or Esme a chance to respond, and we heard his footsteps rapidly moving away from the house and then the car door slam as the engine roared to life.

The car with my father inside drove away as I broke down in tearless sobs on Edward's shoulder.


	20. Chapter 20

**Bella's POV**

Only hours after Charlie left, the phone call from Romania finally came. Edward and I had moved back to our positions on the couch, lying on our sides with him spooning me from behind, as soon as the others had left the room. When we heard the phone ring, we sat up and made our way quickly down the stairs, walking into the living room as Eleazar was handing his phone to Carlisle. On automatic reflex, he put it on speaker as we sat on the couch beside Esme, who immediately took my hand in hers.

"Hello, Kate," Carlisle said. "How are you?"

"_I am well, Carlisle,"_ Kate said. Apparently, she'd decided to do away with small talk, because she immediately launched into the reason for the call and their trip overseas. _"Our trip has been fruitful."_

Carlisle nodded to himself. "Yes, Eleazar said you are with Stefan and Vladimir?"

"_We are, yes,"_ she answered. _"Vladimir has agreed to speak with you, so one moment, and I will give him the phone."_

"_Alo? Buna ziua, pot sa ma auzi?"_ The man's voice was thin and breathy, and I looked over at Edward for a translation.

"He said, 'Hello? Hello, can you hear me?'" Edward murmured into my ear.

"Yes, Vladimir," Carlisle assured the man. "Would you mind speaking English, if you please? We have one young woman here who does not speak your beautiful language."

"_Yes, of course,"_ the other vampire said.

"How are you and Stefan? Is everything at peace in your part of the world?" Carlisle asked.

He had to be the most polite man—human _or_ vampire—I knew. I was anxious as I waited to hear what the Romanian had to say, but I knew Carlisle wouldn't want to rush things.

"_Yes. Yes, things are well. Now, what is it you need, Carlisle Cullen of the Cullen Clan? I do not like this modern technology and wish to be back to my normal schedule most quickly."_ His English was perfect, although his accent was heavy. _"Ms. Denali mentioned something of familială de sânge? How do you say it? Familial blood, correct?"_

"Yes, that is correct," Carlisle confirmed. "One of my children mated with a young woman who has recently been turned after an attack by a nomad. She has a child and a father, and if our beliefs are correct, she is immune to the scent of their blood. We did some research and—"

"_Yes, yes,"_ Vladimir interrupted. _"I'm well aware. I have never seen it personally, you understand, but my brother and I have been around a very long time. It is not something that is well-documented, but you are correct. Familială de sânge is...not as appealing to others of the same bloodline. That is not to say it does not smell good—appetizing, even—but it is slightly easier to resist, even for true vampires such as myself."_

Carlisle gave a thoughtful hum. "Do you know why it works as it does?" he asked curiously.

Vladimir huffed arrogantly, as if to say of course he did. _"To help grow the population of vampires, we are made to be somewhat immune to the blood of our family. You see,"_ he said somewhat haughtily, _"we are more able to bite our loved ones and turn them instead of draining them."_

I felt my eyes grow wide at all the information.

"_Now, add that in with the talent the young woman possesses, and it is no wonder she has been resistant. Gifts...talents tend to run in families,"_ Vladimir continued, _"so evolution has given vampires a way to become even more...powerful than they already were. If a vampire has a talent, they are especially apt to be immune, since latent talent tends to be genetic._

"_Does that explain it to your satisfaction?"_ the old vampire asked.

I watched as Carlisle looked at Edward and Eleazar, who both nodded.

"All right," Carlisle said into the phone. "We are in your debt for taking your time to speak with us." He took the phone off speaker as Kate got back on the phone and asked to speak to Eleazar.

"Good news, yeah?" Emmett said, grinning over at me. "Lil' sis, guess what I see in your future? And I'm not even an all-seeing pixie!"

Everyone laughed as Alice stuck her tongue out at him from her perch on Jasper's lap.

"What does that mean?" I asked, looking at Carlisle and Eleazar, who'd just hung up the phone.

"It means, dear Bella," Eleazar said, smiling, "that it's time to take our testing up a notch."

Edward drew in a deep breath from beside me, and I looked over at him.

"What?" I asked, wondering what had him suddenly so tense. "What did he mean?"

~*~FC~*~

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked Edward for what felt like the hundredth time in the last few hours.

Edward didn't bother responding, as I was sure he knew I'd been speaking rhetorically. He just squeezed my hand and turned with me when I spun around to stalk the other way. Jasper had commented on my inability to sit still—so unlike that of most vampires—but apparently, I was just abnormal in one more way. I needed the movement pacing gave me, or I was going to go nuts.

We were waiting in the woods outside Charlie's house, waiting for him to go to sleep. Emmett was tapping out some beat on his thighs to a song only he—and Edward, I supposed—could hear in his head. Alice was in Jasper's lap as they sat at the base of a tree, speaking quietly together. Carlisle and Eleazar were off to one side, also quietly conversing, and Edward was beside me as I paced, sat, and then paced some more.

We hadn't really needed that many people, but Emmett was the only one with us without a true purpose for being here. He'd argued that doing this—the "test drive," he'd insisted on calling it—had been his idea in the first place, so he had a right to come with us. Plus, his strength would be advantageous should anything happen. Alice and Jasper were both needed with us because of their talents, Carlisle and Eleazar wanted to witness everything firsthand so they could learn and therefore help better in the future, and Edward... Well, Edward was there purely for my peace of mind. I didn't know if I could've done this without him beside me.

I was unable to sit still, brimming with nerves and excitement. As soon as Charlie was out for the night, I would be in the same house as my daughter, and that thought was driving me crazy because it was taking forever to happen.

Sue was already in bed, her soft snores carrying clearly through the air to us, and Charlie had fed Lizzie about an hour before and put her back down for the night. He was shuffling around in the kitchen—getting one last drink of water, setting the timer on the automatic coffeemaker, cleaning bottles...

I felt like my heart was breaking because Edward was able to hear snatches of thoughts coming from my dad, and not many of them were happy. I'd begged him to tell me what Charlie was thinking, but I almost wished he hadn't agreed.

"He's really mad at me, isn't he?" I murmured, turning in Edward's arms to look up at his face.

He shook his head. "Love, I told you. He's not mad. He's worried, yes. He's upset that you didn't talk to him about how you were feeling—that you chose to leave without saying anything rather than talk about it with him. But he knows you wouldn't have left if it weren't serious."

I nodded, sighing a deep breath and wishing... Well, I couldn't say I wished everything was back to how it had been, because then I wouldn't have Edward and the rest of the Cullens back in my life. However, I did wish things could be different, that my future with Lizzie and Charlie wasn't so up in the air.

We were all quiet then as we waited for Alice to give the okay. Jake had texted me twice already via Edward's phone, wondering if we'd gone in yet. I'd promised to call him before we finally did. He and Seth had wanted desperately to be here, but Alice had said she needed to be able to see the future to make sure everything was still okay, and with the wolves there—or even just nearby—she wasn't able to. So they'd promised to stay away, only after making me swear I'd let them know when it was time.

Charlie finally turned off the light in the kitchen and made his way through the living room. The remaining lights we could see downstairs went off, aside from one in the living room, and then we could hear his heavy sigh as he trudged upstairs. He paused as he hit the top step, and I could just imagine him in my mind, waiting outside my bedroom door to listen in on Lizzie, making sure she was settled. After a moment, he moved on, opening and closing the bathroom door quietly.

We could hear Sue snoring softly in the bedroom while Charlie did what he needed to do in the bathroom, and within ten minutes, the bed springs squeaked a bit under his weight when he lay down.

Another twenty minutes went by, and then Alice froze. "It's time," she said finally, shaking herself out of the vision. Glancing at me, she smiled. "It'll be fine, Bella, I promise."

I nodded and then carefully typed out the message to Jake to let him know we were going in before handing Edward back his phone.

He tucked it into his pocket and then took my hand. "Let's go, love," he murmured. "Remember, we're just going to slip into the living room for a few minutes."

Squeezing his hand tightly in mine, I choked out, "You won't let—"

"We got this, Bells," Emmett said from behind me. His voice was upbeat, casual, but when I glanced over my shoulder at him, his expression was serious. "We won't let anything happen."

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "Let's do this."

Alice and Jasper stayed behind in the trees. Their gifts would work fine from outside. Carlisle and Eleazar stood with them, concern and curiosity etched on their faces. With Charlie and Sue asleep right at the top of the stairs, we'd thought it best that not all of us go in the house. Edward and Emmett would be able to control me, if need be—especially with Jasper's help. The three of us moved with stealth to the back door of the house. Jake had found my keys when he'd taken me from the meadow, so I passed them to Emmett, who unlocked the door.

"Ready, love?" Edward asked, giving my hand one last reassuring squeeze.

At my nod, Emmett opened the door as quietly as he could, but it still squeaked, making us all pause. When neither Charlie nor Sue gave any indication of waking, Emmett glided in through the open door. As soon as Emmett cleared the doorway, Edward nudged me forward.

"It's okay, Bella," he promised quietly.

Three steps, four, and I was inside Charlie's house. I froze momentarily as I became slightly overwhelmed. The scents of my daughter, Charlie, and Sue were much more concentrated here than they'd been when I was outside. The blood from Charlie's and Sue's sleep-relaxed hearts flowed almost sluggishly, heavily, while Lizzie's was faster, lighter. Lizzie's and Charlie's scents were muted—sweet, but almost musty—but Sue's was bolder, sharper.

Mouthwateringly appealing.

I swallowed, breathing deeply as I felt Edward move closer to me.

"Talk to me, Bella," he murmured quietly.

"I'm okay," I told him, having to hold myself back from running upstairs. "I want..." My throat closed, and I stifled a sob.

"I know, love," he said, pulling me into his arms. "We're here. We won't let you get past us."

Shaking my head, I started, "No, I mean... I just..." My emotions were so all over the place, keeping me from expressing what I wanted, so I gritted my teeth and rubbed my fists over my eyes in frustration.

Edward's muttered, "I wish I could read your mind" made me huff a laugh.

I opened my eyes and took his hand again. "I'm okay. It's just hard being this close to her and not being able to go to her."

He pulled me into an embrace, pressing a kiss to my hair, but was silent, letting his hug do what words couldn't at the moment.

Almost an hour later, we were all still standing in the same positions, and I needed to get out of there. Sue's blood was beginning to smell a little too good for my comfort, and I needed to put some distance between myself and Charlie's house before my resolve crumbled and I tested Alice's vision before any of us were ready.

Without a word, I slipped out of Edward's embrace and turned to the door.

"Let's go home," I said to the room before stepping out into the night air.


	21. Chapter 21

**Bella's POV**

The next three nights were the same. Edward and I—along with different members of the family—visited Charlie's. Each night, my reaction to Sue's blood lessened. No, technically, that wasn't true. My reaction was still as strong, but my ability to handle it—to ignore the burn of the thirst—steadily improved. Eleazar was sure I was a shield, which was what he thought muted my reaction to Sue's blood.

In fact, things had been going so well, Alice had assured us that tonight's visit was going to go just fine and I would rise to the challenge.

"I don't know about this," I said to Edward and Jasper as we stood at the bottom of the stairs.

"Bella," Jasper started, settling his hand on my shoulder and squeezing gently. When I looked up at him, he continued, "Trust yourself—and if you can't trust yourself, trust us. Edward and I will be there, holding you back if necessary—not that I think you'll need that. Alice's vision hasn't wavered. She still sees you holding and rocking Lizzie."

I nodded and then motioned for Edward to go ahead. When he turned away, I clutched the back of his shirt and followed him silently up the stairs.

As we passed Charlie and Sue's door, I ignored the scent of Sue's blood, the steady sound of their hearts beating rhythmically in their chests; instead, all my focus was on the door ahead of me, where I knew my daughter lay sleeping.

Edward opened the door—which had been oiled within an inch of its life shortly after Lizzie was born because we'd been afraid the small squeak would wake her—and we slipped inside.

My back hit the door as I struggled to not fall apart. I could hear my daughter clearly—her soft inhalations and exhalations as she breathed, her heart thrumming quickly in her chest, and the restless movements as she twitched in her sleep.

"Are you all right, love?" Edward murmured into my ear, quietly enough that the baby monitor sitting on the dresser beside the crib couldn't pick it up.

I nodded. "Closer," I begged, barely able to vocalize anything.

We moved across the room, one step at a time, until we were peering over the top rail into Lizzie's crib.

Edward reached over and turned the monitor down almost all the way, answering my raised eyebrow with a shrug and, "So we don't accidentally let Charlie or Sue overhear."

No one moved, no one breathed; I wasn't sure anyone even blinked for close to an hour. We all stared down at the miracle of my daughter as she slept. I clutched Edward's hand like it was my lifeline, keeping me grounded. Jasper was next to me, his hand on my shoulder a calming beacon as my emotions raged nearly out of control. I had a feeling he was using every bit of his gift to keep me calm.

When Lizzie made a snuffling noise, like she always did as she was coming out of sleep, I knew I couldn't handle any more. With my fists clenched to keep myself from reaching in and picking her up, I swallowed a sob and turned away.

"Home," I cried softly. "Please!"

"Go," Jasper said, more to Edward than me I realized, as Edward took my hand and nearly pulled me to the bedroom window.

We'd jumped to the ground and were running before I could even think.

"Jasper was gonna stay just long enough to make sure the monitor was back on and the house was locked up, and then he'll be with us," Edward said as we ran.

I nodded mutely, feeling nothing—not the mist in the air, the wind in my hair, or Edward's hand in mine—except my heart breaking.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Edward's POV**

By the time Bella and I reached the edge of town, Jasper had caught up.

_She's a wreck, Edward._

I looked over at him and nodded to let him know I already knew. I could tell from the way she was shaking.

_Would you like some time alone with her when we get back?_

I nodded again, thankful once again for my brother.

_Anytime, man. Anytime._

His thoughts turned to getting Alice and the rest of the family out of the house so Bella and I would have the privacy we needed. Both Jasper and I knew she wouldn't want to fall apart again in front of everyone if she could help it.

"Edward," Bella whimpered through gritted teeth. "I...I can't go in there now."

We'd reached the edge of the large backyard, near Esme's garden, and she was looking up at the house.

That was when I heard Alice's voice in my head.

_Don't worry, brother mine. We're all leaving out the front now. We'll go for a run and give you guys some time._

Just as Jasper split off around the side of the house, I tugged on Bella's hand, slowing to a walk, and explained about the others leaving. "We'll have the house to ourselves for a while, love. Please, come inside."

She nodded, allowing me to lead her through the back door and directly up the stairs to my—our—bedroom.

Not sure how else to help her, I led her to the edge of the bed, scooped her into my arms, and lay down with her on top of the bedding. As soon as we were still, she turned in my arms and buried her face in my chest, her delicate-looking hands fisting tightly in my shirt. I heard the fabric tearing, but I couldn't find it in my heart to care, not when her heart was so clearly pained.

Bella was still shaking. If she'd been human, I'd have thought of it like the letdown after an adrenaline rush.

"Isabella," I crooned softly, smoothing the hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "I'm here if you wanna talk about it." I wasn't sure exactly why she'd run—whether it'd been fear, bloodlust, or just that it was too much—but I knew when she was ready, she would tell me what was going through her mind.

For a long time, her only response was to hold me closer.

Then, she suddenly spoke. "I was afraid I would hurt her," she whispered. "I wanted so badly to pick her up, to hold her. But just yesterday, I crushed the shower knob when I turned off the water. How am I supposed to hold my daughter when she's infinitely more fragile and precious than a stupid piece of metal? I'll kill her."

Her voice nearly broke me. I'd never wanted her to feel that way. It was one of the things I'd feared when we were together at the beginning and why I'd been so adamantly opposed to her becoming immortal. But now... Now, I knew better.

"You won't," I said firmly. She started to open her mouth, but I cut her off. "No, love, you won't. You can't. Remember how sure you were that I wouldn't hurt you? You were right. I know that now. Yes, physically, I could have. But I would've rather walked through fire than harm one single hair on your head."

I watched as her eyes met mine, the pain beginning to recede as she listened to my words.

"Your love for Lizzie will force you to be more careful than you've ever even realized you can be. You've already proven the bloodlust isn't an issue. I'll be right beside you, reminding you to keep your touch light, to remember she's physically as fragile as a piece of glass." Taking her chin in my hand, I kept her eyes on me as I vowed, "I will keep you and your daughter safe—even from yourself."

Before I could guess what Bella was going to do, she tangled her fingers in my hair and pulled my mouth to hers.

Since reuniting, there'd been many kisses between the two of us. All the feelings between us when Bella was human had been multiplied with her transformation to vampire. Every time my lips touched hers, an inferno ignited in my body, stealing my unnecessary breaths. It was better than anything I'd ever experienced—myself or through the thoughts and memories of others.

That was why it was so hard for me to pull away.

"Bella..." I groaned when her fingers tightened in the hair at the nape of my neck. It didn't hurt—far from it, in fact. It felt amazing, sexy, needy...but I wouldn't take this step with her if she wasn't ready.

"Edward," she said on a sigh, dropping her forehead to mine and breathing heavily.

My phone buzzed from the pocket of my jeans. I was going to ignore it, but it buzzed again, signaling a second text message. Still, I hesitated.

When it buzzed a third time, Bella groaned and shook her head. "You'd better get it. Alice might kill you if you don't."

Holding her as close as possible, I turned enough that I could reach in and grab the irritating piece of electronics.

_She'll be fine, Edward_, the text from Alice read. _If you reject her one more time, I don't see it ending well. We'll be back in the morning. Have fun!_

"What'd she say?" Bella asked. I could tell she was trying to sound calm, but I could hear the note of sadness in her voice.

I knew I had a decision to make. I could keep us from going any further, or I could trust both Alice and Bella. Two years ago, I'd have stopped us, too worried for her physical safety and sure I was doing the right thing by waiting. Now, though...

I tossed my phone carefully onto the nightstand beside the bed and turned back to a wide-eyed Bella, hitched her leg up onto my hip until we could get no closer, and drew her down for another kiss.

Bella gasped into my mouth, and I took the opportunity and slid my tongue past her lips, teasing her with the tip of it as I rocked my hips into hers, creating friction and making me even harder behind the restrictive zipper of my jeans.

"Off!" Bella gasped, breaking away from my mouth and clutching at my shirt, pushing it up with her hands.

With one hand, I reached back and pulled my shirt off over my head, tossing it to the floor.

Bella's hands immediately went to my chest as I pulled us to a sitting position. She traced the muscles in my chest and stomach, leaning in for another kiss, but I shook my head and pulled away, reaching for her shirt.

"Need to see you," I groaned as her nails found my nipple and pinched it gently, firing off nerve endings I hadn't even known existed.

I knew I should take it easy, undress her slowly so I could take my time, worship her like she deserved. But fuck if I didn't want to just rip every scrap of clothes right off her.

Bella raised her arms over her head, allowing me to gather her shirt and slowly drag it up her torso, revealing the pale, smooth skin of her flat stomach before the lacy black bra she was wearing came into view. It wasn't the first time I'd seen her in her bra—or out—but knowing this was leading to...more...was disconcerting. I felt every bit the seventeen-year-old I pretended to be, nervous to be on the road to losing my virginity.

Shaking off my nerves as best I could, I finally removed Bella's shirt completely. I could see the effort she put in to not covering herself, looking suddenly shy. In an effort to calm her nerves, I pulled her to me, wrapping one arm around her waist. I lifted the other to run my fingers through her hair until I cupped the back of her neck, tilting her head up slightly.

"You're beautiful," I told her sincerely before lowering my lips to hers. This was gentle, sweet, a melding of hearts and souls as I poured every bit of my love for her into that one kiss.

After several minutes, my hand slid up from her waist to the clasp of her bra. With a flick of my fingers, I had it undone and was sliding the straps over her shoulders and down her arms. When I'd tossed it to the floor, I pulled her close, letting her chest mold itself against mine. I felt her nipples peak against my skin, and when she groaned, I knew she'd felt it, too.

"Edward," she breathed against my lips, pressing herself so close that it felt like she was trying to crawl inside me.

Slowly, oh so slowly, I lowered us to the mattress, somehow able to keep our lips from parting. It was the never-ending kiss, and I'd never been more thankful we had no need of breath. Without much effort, I unsnapped her jeans, and finally, I sat back on my heels to pull the pants from her, tossing them to the floor. I wasn't sure where they landed, because every bit of my attention was focused on the beautiful woman in front of me.

Bella was naked except for the silky black scrap of fabric covering her below. I just sat there, gazing down at the goddess before me. She looked like sin incarnate and an angel, all rolled into one. Her eyes were still the dark burgundy of the newly changed, but even after only this short a time, I could see the difference her diet of animals had made to them. Her hair, thicker and fuller from the change, was fanned out on the pillow, and her smooth, flawless skin looked even more vibrant against the dark sheets with the moonlight shining in through the window wall. Her chest was heaving with her unnecessary breaths, and her breasts were absolute perfection, her nipples begging to be kissed.

"God, you're beautiful," I groaned, lowering myself down to kiss her again. I couldn't get enough of her lips. If I lived to be a thousand, I would never get enough.

When the scent of Bella's arousal hit me, I knew I needed more. With one last nip to her lower lip, I kissed my way down her neck, pausing to kiss the mark Laurent had left on her.

"Someday," I growled softly, "I'll mark you here with my bite. When you see that, it'll be a reminder of nothing more than that I get to keep you with me forever."

Bella trembled underneath me, bucking her hips slightly and whimpering as I placed a soft kiss to the spot that was slightly cooler than the rest of her body.

Continuing my journey down, I stopped at her perfect breasts. A man could spend days paying homage to them, never tiring of the pink tips. My fingers closed around one nipple as my lips sealed tight around the other, drawing hard on it with the suction of my mouth, playing the puckered nub with my tongue. My fingers plucked and squeezed her other breast gently, teasing her as I reveled in the sounds I was able to draw from her with every touch of my mouth and hands.

After switching and giving the other breast the same treatment, I continued down, pressing kiss after kiss to the skin between her navel and the top of the black lace. That was where her daughter had lived for nine months. It was a place that deserved just as much worship as the rest of her.

Finally, I could stand it no longer. The scent of her was nearly overwhelming my senses. Balancing myself on my forearms, I lay flat between her parted legs, brushing my nose over the fabric once, twice. Her arousal had seeped through the thin fabric, and I could see it coating not just the lace, but her thighs, as well. Turning my head slightly, I placed a kiss there on her left inner thigh.

_Oh, God, the taste!_

I couldn't let any of the sweet nectar go to waste. Unabashed, I pressed open-mouthed kisses from her knee up to the crease of her leg, my tongue catching every drop that had landed on her skin. With one suckling kiss to her cloth-covered center, I repeated my actions on the right leg. The only thing keeping me from coming in my pants was the control over my body that I'd spent decade after decade perfecting.

Ever so gently, I drew the underwear over Bella's slender hips and down her legs before stuffing them in my pocket. In my head, I could hear Emmett's taunts as surely as if he were actually here and knew what I'd done, but I didn't care. I wanted to carry around her scent as a reminder of the major step we were taking and of her desire for me.

I lowered myself once again to my forearms. Sliding my hands under her, I lifted her gently and used my thumbs to spread her open for me, allowing me to see the glistening pink of her core. Her scent hit me anew as she watched me dip my head and press a kiss to the top of her curls. Groaning, I dipped my head farther and kissed her opening, darting my tongue inside for a taste of her at the source. I sipped and licked, gathering every bit of the juices I could reach.

Finally, I moved enough to free one hand, using the other to keep her open to me, and then slid one long finger inside her. She was so tight, so hot...so wet. Lowering my head again, I sealed my lips around her clit, grazing it with my teeth as I curled my finger, stroking the spot I'd only heard about in my mind.

I must've done something right, because Bella stiffened, gave a keening cry, ending in "Edward!" and clenched around my finger. A fresh wave of her arousal coated my finger, which I quickly withdrew so I could lap up the excess, slowly bringing her down from her orgasm.

After one last kiss, I moved to take off my jeans, sliding back onto the bed beside her.

"Please, Edward," she begged softly when she turned to look at me. "Make love to me."

Her eyes were dark with her arousal, and I knew my own had to be matching.

"You never have to beg," I said, moving over her. "Never again, Isabella."

When she nodded, biting her lip, I went to my knees, bracing myself above her on one hand and using the other to position myself at her entrance. I held my breath as I slid just an inch inside her, moving my now-free hand to brace on the other side of her head. Looking deep into her eyes, I thrust once, burying myself to the hilt inside her.

We both cried out at the sensation. I couldn't move, for fear of going off too soon. If I'd thought she was hot and tight around my finger, it was nothing compared to how she felt around my erection. It was like she'd been made just for me; I fit her perfectly.

Finally able to move without shooting early, I slid almost all the way out before thrusting home again. Over and over, we came together, each time more heavenly than the last. I slid my arms under her, my hands gripping her shoulders, and then sat back on my calves, pulling her up with me. This put us as close as we could possibly be as she rode me, her legs wrapped around me, her hands tangled in my hair. I held her tight, using her hair in one hand to pull her head back, which gave me access to her neck.

Bella rocked against me, moving us both closer and closer to the edge of the abyss, as I licked and suckled at the smooth skin between her neck and shoulder. When I dragged my teeth lightly across her immortal scar, she jerked, tightening her hold on me.

"Yes!" she hissed. "Make me yours, Edward." She was all but sobbing as she began to rock her hips harder.

I kissed up her neck to her lips, murmuring, "I love you, Bella," against her.

Her pants mingled with my words as she whimpered her out her reply. "Love...you...too...Oh, God! Please!"

Sliding my right hand between us, I found her clit and pressed, tweaking it with my fingers as my mouth found that spot on her neck again.

_Mine!_ I thought, as I slid my teeth in, slicing cleanly through the nomad's scar and marking her as mine.

That was the final push she needed, and she jerked again, coming hard around me. I pulled my teeth from her skin, burying my face against her neck, my own release making me cry out her name as I came over and over inside her.

I'd waited nearly a hundred years for that moment, and my dreams hadn't even come close to how perfect it had been. If the squeezing of her inner muscles were any indication, Bella was feeling much the same. I moved gently to reposition us on the bed, still intimately joined, until we were reclining on the mattress.

With a sigh, Bella pressed a kiss to my chest, one hand moving down my arm to grasp my hand, which had been resting on her hip. She entwined our fingers, pulling them up to place a kiss on my hand once before she was still. I closed my eyes, feeling more at peace than I ever had before.

_Bliss._


	22. Chapter 22

**Bella's POV**

The hours after Edward and I made love for the first time passed quickly. For a long time, we did nothing but lie together, touching and kissing. We ended up making love three more times in just those few hours—twice on the bed and once in the shower, where neither of us had been able to keep our hands to ourselves. Then we curled up together on the couch downstairs. We knew his family would be home soon, and we wanted to actually talk before they got back—and we were both smart enough to know if we stayed upstairs in the bedroom, talking would _not_ be on the agenda. As it was, the piano was looking awfully tempting...

"Bella..." Edward chuckled. He was watching me with an amused, but highly aroused expression on his face. "There'll be plenty of time for that, Isabella," he said in a low voice, the timbre almost sounding purr-like.

I sighed and nodded. "Thank you for reassuring me earlier," I started shakily. "About Lizzie, I mean."

His only response was to hold me closer. I was already on his lap, unable to bear being even as far away as the seat beside him.

"So what's the next step?" I asked, staring down at my hands. "Should we talk to Alice, Carlisle, and Eleazar?"

Edward moved his hands to cover mine, which had been clenched into fists in my lap. "Alice will let us know if her visions change. What do _you_ think we should do next?"

I was almost vibrating with nerves—if such a thing could happen to a vampire—and I frowned, shaking my head. "I...don't know. I need to talk to Carlisle and Eleazar."

Edward moved his hand up and grasped my chin gently, turning my head so I was forced to look at him. "Bella, this is a decision you need to make, love. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. Whether it be simply from your talent—the shield—or you yourself, I don't know, but you have more control as a brand new newborn than some of the newborns I've seen that are a year into the change. You need to believe in yourself like I believe in you—like our entire family believes in you."

I felt a warmth spread through me at his words and sighed, relaxing slightly in his arms.

His hand dropped from my chin to take my hand, rubbing his thumb across my knuckles. "Now, without overthinking it, what do you think the next step should be?"

For a moment, I stopped worrying about the consequences, stopped worrying about what could happen, and really thought about it. After a moment, I answered, "I wanna see how hard it is for me to be around Sue during the day." I knew my voice sounded tentative, like I wasn't sure that was a good next step or not.

Apparently, Edward had no such questions. "I think that's a very logical next step. We can talk to Alice when they return, and then we'll go from there."

For a while, we simply sat there, not speaking. It was a comfortable silence, born of familiarity and love. My mind continued to wander over the future as my eyes flitted around the room; I was still amazed at how different everything looked with my new vision.

When my gaze landed on the piano in the corner, I knew immediately what I wanted.

"Play for me?" I requested softly, touching Edward's face softly with the backs of my fingers.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Edward's POV**

Of all the things I enjoyed—apart from Bella and spending time with my family, of course—playing the piano was at the top of my list. I would've been hard pressed to explain to anyone just why it affected me the way it did. It'd always given me a sense of peace amid the maelstrom of thoughts I had to deal with. I'd always enjoyed playing for others—Esme in particular loved to sit and listen—but since meeting my Bella, playing for her had become one of my favorite activities. Since I'd returned, I'd only played the once, and I missed it.

Apparently, Bella did as well, if her request was any indication. She started to scramble off my lap, but I prevented her from moving away from me. Instead, I stood with her in my arms and made my way to the piano.

Sitting down on the bench, I held her as she rearranged herself so she was facing me, her legs wrapped loosely around my waist. I didn't need to see the keys to play, so even with her blocking my view somewhat, I started right in to her lullaby.

Bella smiled a beautiful smile, running her hands gently across my chest and down before moving them back up and wrapping her arms around me, nuzzling her face in the crook of my neck.

I transitioned seamlessly into Esme's song and then "Clair de Lune."

My hands faltered as I felt Bella's kiss to my collarbone. She chuckled low and then kissed her way up my neck to my lips. I groaned as my hands left the piano, sliding under her shirt and caressing the smooth skin of her back. I was just about to strip the shirt right off her, suddenly desperate for her once again, when a voice broke through my thoughts.

_Don't you dare, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen._

Alice.

I groaned.

_We'll be there in two minutes. Clothes on, mister!_

"What's wrong?" Bella asked when I pulled away.

"Alice and the others will be here in a couple of minutes," I explained.

Bella laughed, shaking her head.

The sound shot through me like a lightning bolt. It'd been a long time since I'd heard her sound that relaxed and carefree. I thought for a second of whisking her off upstairs, but Alice's voice stopped me.

_Don't do it. I'll burst in and interrupt. You know I will! Rose and I want some girl time. You've played enough,_ she teased.

I sighed. "Be prepared, love," I told the most important woman of my existence.

"What? Why?"

Her slightly puckered brow and lips quirked in good-humored confusion made me smile.

Just then, my family, along with Eleazar and Carmen, burst through the door, talking and laughing.

"Our turn with Bella!" Alice chirped, coming over to us.

I kept my vision on Bella as she ducked her head, and I knew if she'd still been human, she'd have blushed as understanding dawned on her. She knew as well as I did that the girls would want to hear details of how our night had gone.

"Besides, the boys want to have a talk with their brother," Rose said, looking over at Emmett, who was nodding vigorously.

_Yeah, we gotta talk about Bella popping your cherry, dude!_

"Emmett!" I growled, glaring at him.

"What?" He laughed. "It's not like I said it out loud!"

"Sorry, love," I murmured to a giggling Bella. "I'm gonna go before he _does_ decide it's worth saying aloud. Have fun with the girls. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"I'll be here," she promised with a smile. Kissing me once, she was off my lap and up the stairs with Rose and Alice before I could blink.

"Come on," I said, rolling my eyes. They were both being careful to shield their thoughts from me, but I knew they were itching to let loose.

_I'm so happy for you, Edward,_ Esme thought, smiling as I moved away from the piano.

Carlisle's arm was wrapped around his wife's waist, and he was smiling, as well. _Go, son. Have fun with your brothers. We'll be here with Bella._

I nodded, thanking him with a small smile. "I'll be back soon," I said, as much for Bella as for the others, and then I raced out the back door on Emmett's and Jasper's heels.

The moment I got out the door, Emmett slammed into me. The two of us flew through the air, landing hard at the edge of the forest and tumbling over one another as he laughed.

_Dude, I surprised Eddie!_

"Don't call me Eddie," I growled, launching myself at my laughing brother.

We crashed into a small tree, hard enough that the thing swayed before cracking down the middle and falling over with a loud crash.

Jasper stood a good distance away from our fight, laughing his ass off. His thoughts were amused, wondering if Esme would yell at us for hurting the tree.

"It's his fault," I grumbled in response as I dodged Emmett's next tackle.

_One would think you'd be more relaxed now that you got some, brother,_ Emmett taunted in his head. He immediately began thinking of how relaxed _he_ was after—

"Damn, Emmett!" I growled, sweeping his feet out from under him and surprising him as he fell back, landing on his ass. "I don't need to see that again."

He laughed again. "We're just messing with you, man. Truce?" He jumped up, landing lithely on his feet and holding out his clenched fist.

I smirked and nodded, giving him a fist bump as Jasper came over to us.

"Seriously, bro," Jasper said, falling in step with us as we began running farther into the forest. "Even if Ali hadn't spilled the beans about...well, your activities last night, we'd have been able to tell. You guys were radiating a joy I couldn't have contained even if I'd wanted to." He looked askance at me. "I guess I don't have to ask if it was good?"

Unable not to, I grinned, remembering everything that had transpired between Bella and myself over the last handful of hours. "It was...everything and more," I admitted.

Emmett bumped my shoulder with his, giving me a warm smile. For once, his thoughts weren't at all teasing. "Good, man. That's good." As we heard the thudding heartbeats of a small herd of deer ahead, he grinned and said, "Race ya!"

I took off, passing him easily, and took down a medium-sized buck, even though I'd just hunted less than twelve hours earlier. I had a feeling I'd need to be as well-fed as possible the next few days to keep up with Bella and everything I could see coming in our future.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Bella's POV**

I knew why Alice and Rose wanted girl time, and while I wasn't sure how comfortable I was discussing details of my time with Edward, it would be fun to spend time alone with them and get their opinion on something I'd been wondering about for the last few hours.

I followed them up the stairs and into Alice's room, where Alice sprawled out on the bed and Rose sat in the chair in the corner of the room. Taking a seat on the floor with my back against the wall across from the bed, I waited warily for the questions I knew would be coming.

Alice didn't disappoint. "So how was it?" she squealed.

Groaning a laugh, I shook my head. "Don't you know? Didn't you see it?"

She huffed. "It's not like I _tried_ to see you and my brother having sex, Bella."

Immediately, I felt bad. I knew she didn't do it on purpose; she tried to stay out of the family's personal lives just as much as Edward tried to stay out of their heads.

"I know," I said, contrite. In a way, I owed her...and I was very grateful. "I'm sorry, Alice. Thank you for reassuring him, by the way."

"Of course!" She gave me a grin, and said, "Now, spill!"

Rose looked just as excited and happy for me as she nodded, apparently agreeing with Alice about wanting the details.

"It was...beautiful," I said honestly. "I...um, I wasn't a...um...anymore, of course, but in all other respects, that was my first time, too. He was..." God, this was embarrassing to talk about! Finally, I decided to explain another way. "Is it normal to want the other person so much so...often?" I knew if I were still human, I'd have been blushing like a tomato.

They both laughed.

"That's one of the best parts about being a mated vampire, Bella," Rose said through her amusement. "Seriously, you've heard the stories of when Emmett and I first mated, right?"

I nodded. "You and Emmett could hardly keep your hands off each other for the first few years, right?" I asked, still a bit uncomfortable, but warming up to the topic the more we talked.

Alice snorted. "Try the first decade, if the stories are any indication. Even after Jasper and I joined the family, they still did more damage to the houses we lived in than any of the rest of us."

Rose flipped Alice the bird, laughing. "It's true. But seriously, it's all a part of being a vampire and being newly mated. We'd be more worried if you _could_ keep your hands off him!"

Well, at least I knew I wasn't abnormal...in that regard, anyway.

"And Bella," Alice said softly. When I looked up at her, she continued, "Edward's in the same boat you are. In fact, he's already made the decision that he's giving the boys twenty more minutes, and then he's coming home, whether they like it or not."

At that, I couldn't keep the grin from my face.


	23. Chapter 23

**Bella's POV**

Looking back, I should've known things were going too well. Edward was back and he still loved me; even though it hadn't come the way or time I'd wanted it to, I was a vampire and would be with him for eternity. My thirst and behavior were anything but those of a typical newborn. I was well on the road to having everything I wanted. I'd begun to think everything was going to be fine, that nothing was going to happen to take away my greatest wish.

And then one of my greatest fears had come true.

~*~FC~*~

**Nine Hours Earlier**

"They'll be here in a few hours," Edward said, as if everyone in the room hadn't been able to hear every sound on the other end of the phone. Even without our vampire hearing, Jacob's voice tended to boom loudly if he wasn't careful. He'd been out patrolling when Edward called, so he'd felt no need to keep his voice down, apparently.

"I think that's our cue to take our leave," Eleazar said, smiling gently as he looked over at his wife.

Carmen had been sitting at the table with Esme, looking through home décor magazines. She was thinking of redesigning some of the rooms in their Denali home, and Esme had been more than happy to help her plan.

"Yes," Carmen agreed, moving into the living room and resting her hand on his shoulder. She smiled apologetically at me and said, "I know they're your friends, but I'm still not comfortable around them."

"They're an...acquired taste," Edward commented pleasantly.

"Taste?" Emmett perked up from him position in front of the big screen TV, where he and Jasper were engaged in some sort of crazy battle of the ages with robots and guns and aliens—or something to that effect. "When did you taste the wolves, Eddie, and why wasn't I invited?"

I rolled my eyes, but chuckled in spite of myself when Edward reached over and smacked the back of Emmett's head, before turning back to Carmen and Eleazar.

"Thank you both for coming," I said seriously. "It helped. Hearing your thoughts and opinions, I mean."

It was true. Eleazar had been around a long time and had seen as much or more than Carlisle. With his gift of being able to see the talents in others, he'd helped figure out why and how I might be able to keep my daughter. I owed him more than words could express for that.

"You are a lucky young woman, Isabella," Carmen murmured warmly, wrapping me in a motherly embrace. "We look forward to hearing of your progress."

The pair said their goodbyes to the rest of the family and then moved quickly to the vehicle they'd rented to make the journey back to the airport in Seattle. Carlisle and Esme stood on the front porch, waving goodbye as the car disappeared down the drive.

"Would you like to hunt before Jacob and Seth get here, love?" Edward asked quietly.

I nodded. I knew that would help me feel more in control, even if I didn't truly need to feed. It hadn't yet been twenty-four hours since I'd last taken down a large deer, but just making sure I was completely stuffed to the gills—so to speak—helped me feel calmer when it came to problems we were facing.

Edward took my hand once we'd cleared the back door, and we began the slow walk to the woods, knowing there was no rush.

After we had each fed on a single deer and buried the remains, Edward found a fallen tree and sat down, pulling me onto his lap.

"What are you thinking?" he asked quietly as he traced my features lightly with his fingertip.

I knew it bothered him that he still couldn't read my mind, so I tried to open up as much as possible when he asked. "I know this is the next step in everything, but what if Sue says no?" I worried my bottom lip with my teeth until Edward gently pulled it loose. "I can't fault her if she doesn't want to agree, but what will we do if she doesn't?"

Edward was quiet a moment and then shrugged. "I'm not sure, Bella. As of this morning, Alice's vision was still steady, so either Sue agrees, or we find another way."

I nodded. I knew that, of course, but it still worried me.

Edward opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it before anything came out. I waited, knowing if he had something to say, he would say it. After he'd done it two more times, my curiosity got the better of me.

"What?" I asked, turning to face him more. "Edward?"

He closed his eyes briefly, and when they opened, I could almost see the worry and pain in them. "You know that even if you are able to hold Lizzie, we can't stay here in Forks, right? Your appearance is too different, and even with the shield, you're still a newborn. I think everyone would be more comfortable if we moved somewhere more...remote for a while."

At his words, it was like I could feel my still heart clench in my chest. Was he telling me I couldn't have Lizzie in my life, even if I were okay to be around her? If that was the case, why were we going through all this? Why get my hopes up, only to have to crush me later?

"Isabella, calm down," Edward's soft voice said firmly. "I don't know what's running through your mind, but please, love, calm down."

It took me a moment, but then I realized that in my panic, I'd wrapped my arms around my torso and was rocking back and forth in his lap, panting heavily. My eyes were stinging with venom that wouldn't fall.

"Please, Bella," he murmured. "Tell me what you were thinking?"

Aloud, I quickly ran through the questions that had been in my head, still holding myself together with my arms, as if I could protect myself from his answer.

"Oh, Bella..." He sighed, pulling me tight against his chest and shaking his head. "That wasn't what I meant. I'm sorry I didn't explain better. Of course it's something we'll need to sit down and talk about—the two of us, as well as the rest of the family—but when we move, if Alice's vision has stayed true and you're unaffected by Lizzie's scent, you'll be able to take her with you, if that's what you want to do. I don't want to take her away from you, Bella. No one does. I promise you with all I am that we're going to do everything in our power to make it so you can raise your daughter." He paused, a hand on my chin gently raising my face so I had to look at him. "So _we_ can raise your daughter."

I swallowed hard, feeling the ball of dread that had taken up residence in my chest beginning to dissipate. "So _we_ can raise her," I agreed quietly, nodding. After a few moments, I asked the other question that had been rolling around in my head. "What about Charlie?"

I could see him thinking over the question—whether deciding what to tell me or realizing he didn't have an answer himself, I didn't know.

Finally, he shook his head and sighed. "I don't know, love. According to the laws of our kind, we can't tell him."

I started to interrupt, but he stopped me with another shake of his head. "I know, Bella. If everything goes okay with Lizzie, I don't see how we can keep it from him. It's something we need to talk to Carlisle about, I think."

"Yeah," I sighed, just as Edward's phone buzzed from his pocket.

He pulled it out and checked the message. "We need to get back. The wolves will be at the house in fourteen minutes."

Nodding, I kissed him quickly, taking one last minute for just ourselves.

Cupping my face gently, Edward pressed his forehead to mine. "It'll work out, Bella. I promise."

~*~FC~*~

After a heavily detailed talk with Sue on the phone and Jake by my side, it'd been decided that I would go over later that day—after two o'clock, since up until then, the sun would be out—accompanied by not only Edward and Emmett, but both Jake and Seth, as well. Sue had been hesitant about letting me come over. She knew I'd been testing my reaction to her scent, as well as Charlie's and Lizzie's, but she didn't know we'd been in the house to do it. Jake and Seth had known, but we'd avoided telling Sue so she wouldn't worry.

Alice had tried to argue that having the wolves there would interfere with her visions, but that had been Sue's stipulation—no wolves, no visit. Edward had finally made the decision to go over with the wolves and had then asked Alice to look for our futures that night or the next day. She'd been able to see us the next day, so we'd decided that it was as good a guarantee as we could get at the moment.

Jake and Seth had gone back to the reservation, but were going to meet us outside Charlie's house in a few minutes, as soon as the clouds rolled in. The rest of the family, as well as a few more of the wolves, would follow and position themselves around the house—sentries, of sorts. That would mean Carlisle was nearby if Sue had any questions, and if either Sue or I needed him, Jasper was close enough to help calm us down.

When Alice gave us the okay, we ran through the woods, keeping to the shadows provided by the trees until it was safe.

"The wolves are here," Edward murmured several minutes later. "Everyone's in wolf form except Jake and Seth."

Not long after that, I began to smell them. There was definitely a distinctive...odor from the wolves. I'd never smelled anything wrong with them as a human, of course, so it'd come as a shock to smell Jake the first time after my change. I blocked out the smell—just shut it away in my mind—so I could concentrate on what we were there to do.

"Hey, Bells," Jake said, coming through the trees with Seth.

"Bella!" Seth was the first to reach me, pulling me in for a big hug. He was so hot—temperature-wise—and so big that it was hard to believe he was the same person as the scrawny little kid I'd first met when I moved to Forks.

His enthusiasm was infectious, and I found myself smiling and relaxing a bit.

"Hey, guys," I said, smiling at them both.

"Ready to do this?" Jake asked, looking at the three of us as Seth walked casually up to the back door, knocked once, and entered the house.

I slid my hand into Edward's, and Emmett put his hand lightly on my shoulder. Swallowing, I nodded and answered, "As ready as I'll ever be."

We crossed the backyard quickly, knowing the chances of anyone seeing me were slim, but not willing to risk it. Jake went in first, followed by Emmett and then me, with Edward not half a step behind me.

I'd heard Sue's heart beating from outside, of course, but that far from her and away from most of her scent, I'd been able to put it out of my head. In the same room with her, though, I had to work harder at it. The moment Emmett stepped into the room, her heart beat a little faster. Then when I entered, it skipped a beat and was pounding so hard that I was honestly a little worried for her. Her fear and worry had her blood pumping faster; adrenaline was coursing through her as her fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. It was the ideal situation to tempt a vampire's predatory instincts.

Emmett must have realized it as well because he fell into step beside me and clamped a hand on my shoulder, making sure I didn't go after her.

Sue was sitting in Charlie's recliner, her back ramrod straight, hands clenched nervously in her lap. Seth was standing behind her, his hand on her shoulder, while Jake was leaning casually against the wall on the other side of the room, near the stairs. They both gave me worried smiles as Emmett and Edward led me to the couch across from the recliner.

I realized I'd quit breathing the moment we'd walked in. As soon as I was settled beside Edward on the couch, with Emmett behind me, I allowed myself to take a small breath, feeling my throat flame at the first scent of Sue's blood. Edward's hand tightened on mine, and no one made a sound as I quickly locked back the bloodlust that had spiked sharply.

"I'm okay," I said in a voice Sue couldn't hear. Then I looked over at the beautiful, strong, and scared Native American woman sitting near me and smiled. "Hi, Sue. Thank you for agreeing to see me."

For the next hour, we sat and talked. Sue caught me up on Charlie and Lizzie, and Edward explained in more detail about Eleazar believing me to be a shield and the theory of familial blood. Everyone—including Sue—relaxed over the course of the hour. Even I felt more in control than I'd thought I might be.

"Wh-What are your plans now?" Sue asked hesitantly. "With Charlie and Lizzie, I mean."

"We, uh..." I looked at Edward, not sure I could answer Sue's question without falling apart.

Luckily, he understood and squeezed my hand, turning to Sue. "We've only just begun to discuss the future," he said softly. "A lot depends on Alice's vision and whether or not Bella is able to be around Lizzie."

Sue nodded. "That—"

Whatever Sue had been planning to say was lost to me as I heard a change in Lizzie's heartbeat and breathing in the room upstairs. My whole body was instantly in tune with my daughter's. She was waking up.

"Lizzie," I gasped at Edward. "I want to see her. I want to hold her."

A commotion drew my attention, and I turned to see that Sue had gotten to her feet, her eyes wide and fear written across her face.

"I won't let you do that, Bella," she said, crossing quickly to the stairs and standing in front of them. "I don't like the idea of you being in the same room with her."

I felt rage unlike anything I'd ever felt before boil up in my veins, and before she could blink, I was in front of her, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

"_You_ won't _let_ me do that?" I seethed. "Where do you get off telling me what I can and can't do with my daughter?"

I could hear the growl in my voice. Jake and Seth were suddenly between us, protecting her from me, while Edward and Emmett held me back. I shook them off, hissing at them to let me go, that I wasn't going to attack her.

"She's _my_ daughter!" I cried protectively, the plea in my voice obvious even with my anger and my hurt.

"I just don't think it's a good idea," Sue said bravely, raising her chin.

I closed my eyes and fought to control my temper before speaking again. "I've been in the room with her already, Sue, and I wasn't tempted in the least. You heard Edward speak about the familial blood keeping Lizzie from being something that smells like food. I've sat here for an hour with you—a human—and been fine." The fight went out of my body, and I relaxed some, which in turn allowed everyone around me to relax a little, as well. "I appreciate you looking out for my baby, I really do. But she's just that: _my_ daughter. You do not have the authority to tell me I cannot see her or hold her. That is a decision I alone will make, after speaking to Edward and the other Cullens."

"Mom," Seth said calmly, turning to her, "let Bells do her thing. She's all good, right?" he continued, looking at me over his shoulder and smiling.

I took a deep breath, ignoring the burn in my throat from Sue's near presence, and nodded. "I apologize for scaring you, Sue. It seems my temper is a bit short-fused at the moment...but I would rather die ten times over than ever hurt Lizzie. As a mother, you should understand that."

Something unspoken, but true passed between us then; I could see it in her eyes as they met mine. She accepted my apology with a nod and moved away, still somewhat hesitantly, from the stairs.

Just before I stepped up, I paused and said, "Rose, Esme, would you come in, please?"

From beside me, Emmett froze, and then, as if he'd figured out why I'd called them in, he suddenly closed his eyes and smiled, looking almost grateful.

"Yes, Bella?" Rose asked from across the room.

I looked back, and the two of them were standing in the doorway to the living room. Rose's hands were tucked into her back pockets as she looked warily around the room. Esme just looked like she was beaming.

"Would you like to come upstairs with me and meet my daughter?" I asked them quietly. I knew how much both of them had wanted children and how much Esme still mourned the loss of her son. Being able to share this moment with them was something I could give to them.

They looked stunned, but immediately nodded and moved toward us.

Jake and Seth moved away from the stairs; Seth had his arm around Sue's shoulder, and he guided her gently to the couch. Emmett touched Rose's cheek tenderly and then moved away as well.

Edward looked lost—almost hurt—and I realized he thought I'd meant for them to come upstairs with only me, not the two of us. When I took his hand and stepped up, pulling him with me, I looked back to see the relief flash across his face, and then there was nothing left but love in his expression.

By the time we silently opened the door to my bedroom, Lizzie was wide awake. I could tell from the sounds she was making that she was working herself up to cry, and I wasn't sure my heart could take that. I hurried over to the crib, the three Cullens on my heels, and gazed down at my daughter. Her face was screwed up in a scowl, her lips pursed, and she'd kicked her legs free of the blanket in her frustration. I leaned forward, itching to pick her up.

"Gently, Bella," Edward murmured. "Just like we talked about."

I remembered our conversation a few days ago, when he'd had me practice holding the silliest of things: uncooked eggs, a loaf of bread, a fragile light bulb...a stray kitten—Emmett's idea, of course. Edward had helped me temper my touch so I knew I wouldn't hurt her when the time came.

Nodding, I slid my hands under Lizzie's little body, carefully supporting her head, and picked her up, holding my breath in concentration.

Rose suddenly put a thick, folded blanket in my arms. "To help keep her comfortable," she murmured, even as she looked down at Lizzie.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Once Lizzie was settled in my arms, protected from the cold hardness of my body by the blanket, I let my gaze settle on my daughter. She was looking up at me, her eyes focusing as much as a two-month-old's could. She looked tiny, but my new vampire vision let me see every inch of perfection she was. From her green eyes, shaped just like mine, to the slightly upturned nose, the blue veins showing through her thin, fragile skin, and the soft tuft of brown hair on the top of her head...she was even more beautiful than I could've imagined.

Apparently, Esme agreed. "She's beautiful, Bella," she said quietly.

I didn't know how long I stood there, watching my baby girl watch me. It was like she knew who I was, like she remembered me, even with the changes my body had been through. Her heart was fast, like a butterfly's wings, so light and fluttery. I ran a finger gently down her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin, and though it was so much cooler than she was, she didn't flinch from my touch.

When she flailed her arms and grasped onto my finger, I choked out a sob, wishing for not the first time since I'd woken as a vampire that I could actually shed a tear.

Edward, Rose, and Esme all had a hand on me, trying to give me strength and comfort, I was sure.

Suddenly, Edward stiffened, pulling me from my thoughts of the future. "Charlie's almost home. Bella, we need to go. Now."

Unconsciously, my grip on Lizzie tightened, startling her and making her cry out in protest.

"Oh, God," I gasped, my stomach lurching. "Take her, please!"

I'd hurt her, I just knew it. I'd done the one thing I'd been so very worried about.

Suddenly, Jake appeared in the doorway. "I'll take her, Bells," he said gently, reaching for the baby.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I nodded, not opening them until Edward had led me out of the room. Then I raced down the stairs and out the door, outrunning everyone but Edward, who ran quietly beside me out into the darkness of the trees.


	24. Chapter 24

**Edward's POV**

I ran silently beside Bella through the forest, away from any observant humans, until we slowed to a stop at the edge of the trees nearest the water. If we continued, we'd have to swim across the Juan De Fuca Strait to reach Canada. It was an easy swim for us, of course, and I'd gladly have done it if that was what Bella wanted. Apparently, though, the approximately thirty-mile run had put enough distance between her and Charlie's place for her to feel comfortable stopping.

Bella was breathing heavy, unnecessary breaths as she collapsed, knees drawn up to her chest and face in her hands. She was trembling, trying to get herself under control. I cursed the fates for the heartbreak she was going through, especially when I knew it wasn't necessary. I knew she needed time to wade through her emotions before I tried to help, though, so instead of talking, I took a seat beside her and pulled her onto my lap, cradling her gently in my arms. She buried her face in my chest, sobbing tearlessly. With one hand, I kept her tight against me, and I used the other to softly stroke her hair over and over in a manner I hoped was soothing.

Eventually, her cries quieted, and she took a final, shuddering breath, raising eyes full of sadness and resignation to meet mine. When she spoke, it was broken and quiet enough that I had to work to hear it.

"I hurt her."

I turned her quickly to face me, cupping her face in my hands so she had to look at me. "You didn't, love." Stalling her argument with a thumb gently over her lips, I explained, "I was able to hear Jacob's thoughts clearly for several minutes, and he told me Lizzie was just fine. She was startled by your movement, Bella, that's all."

"But I squeezed," Bella moaned. "When you told me Charlie was almost home, I knew my time with her was over, and for a moment, I just wanted to hold her to me, but then she cried out, and I realized I'd squeezed her. I couldn't face anyone. I couldn't look at my sweet baby, knowing I'd hurt her...so I ran."

_My poor Bella._

Brushing light kisses over her forehead, cheeks, nose, and finally, her lips, I whispered reassurances, promising that Jacob had said Lizzie was okay. She hadn't hurt her daughter in the slightest.

"But I could have," she whispered, her voice pained. She jumped up from my lap, beginning to pace. "I can't do this. I have to leave. Staying in Lizzie's life is only going to bring danger to her. She'll always be in danger from me or others like us. She deserves to have a normal life, without having to live in fear for her life."

_Oh no._ I couldn't let Bella do to herself and Lizzie what I'd done to the two of us. I'd thought I was doing the right thing. I'd thought I was protecting her by keeping her from the danger that not only I presented, but the Jameses, Victorias, and Laurents of my world—not to mention the Volturi. Instead, I'd left her to fend for herself in a world she was already involved in, whether I'd liked it or not, and in the process, I'd torn the two of us apart. Neither of us had been better off without the other; in fact, Bella had suffered more without me than she ever would have if I'd been there.

Not wanting to let her continue with this line of thinking, I quickly made my way over to her. She'd stopped moving and was staring out over the water, looking damn near defeated. Wrapping my arms around her, I tugged her back against my chest, taking a moment to revel in the fact that we fit so perfectly now, her head tucked under my chin.

"Do you remember what happened two years ago, love?" I finally asked her quietly, hating to bring up such a raw topic for both of us, but knowing I had no other choice.

She was quiet for a long time before whispering, "You left."

"Right." I paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I'd spent eighty-seven years thinking of myself as a monster because of what I was. I truly believed that no good could come to you from being around me. No matter how good my control was, one day, I would hurt you—which was my biggest fear. And if not me, then someone in my family, or someone else like James, who you never would've come across if it hadn't been for me."

She was still, quiet, listening to me speak, so I continued. "Of course, your physical safety was only one of the reasons I told myself for leaving. I was determined that you be allowed to experience all the joys of life as a human, and I let nothing and no one sway me from that decision. No matter that Alice told me repeatedly that you could have amazing experiences in this life. I wanted you to grow old with someone you loved, to have a husband with whom you had children born out of love. I thought you would find someone that you could love and who would love you like you deserved to be loved."

Needing her to look into my eyes to see the truth, I slid my hands up to Bella's shoulders and turned her so she was facing me. The heartbreak and war going on in her head showed clearly in not only her eyes, but every part of her being. Her head was bowed, her shoulders hunched, and regret and defeat poured out of her very soul.

"Bella, love, please look at me."

I waited until she looked up at me, pain etched on her features.

"I was wrong. For a long time, I didn't realize that. I didn't realize that you loved me as I loved you. I didn't realize that no one else would ever be able to love you like I love you—like I will always love you. I've had a lot of time to think since I came back to Forks, and one of the things I know now is yes, there might've been a few bumps and bruises along the way, because as a human, you _were_ fragile, but nothing I would've ever been truly capable of doing would've hurt you more than leaving you did. I didn't believe—even with everything my family tried to tell me—that my love for you would be enough to keep me from hurting you like I thought I would end up doing.

"I didn't believe Carlisle, with his knowledge and experience, nor Alice with her gift of seeing the future. I didn't believe Emmett, who loves with every fiber of his being and understands just how powerful love can be. Instead, I let my fears rule my decisions—my fear of the future, of the unknown—and I left you. It will forever be the single biggest regret of my existence."

I could see that my words were beginning to penetrate the wall of shame, fear, and regret that she'd put up, so I continued.

"Isabella, none of us know how the future will play out—even though Alice gets pretty damn close. But I do know that leaving your daughter—leaving Lizzie—would be something you regret for the rest of your life and something you would never get over. Human lives are fragile things, in the company of vampires or not. And yes, Charlie would love her like he loves you, but no one will ever love her as much as you do. That's a powerful love, sweetheart. One that can overcome any obstacle you might face.

"If we raise Lizzie, will things be perfect? No, I'm sure they won't be. She won't have a normal upbringing. She'll have to keep the secret of what we are for the rest of her life. But I guarantee she'll be loved more by not only the two of us, but all of her aunts and uncles, Grandpa Charlie, as well as Grandma Esme and Grandpa Carlisle. Her life will be so full of love and experiences, she won't miss having a _normal_ life."

Bella sagged against me, all the fight gone. "We would have to tell Charlie—about me, your family. I couldn't just show up and take her. I couldn't do that to him."

"Mmm, yes, you're right," I agreed. "He would have to be let in on the secret. The pack would protect him while we were gone, and if he knows everything, visiting would be easy."

"Having a human baby with us would mean we have to be a little more careful about where we live," she mumbled with a sigh. "We might not feel the cold of the Alaskan wilderness, but she would."

I chuckled, knowing she was trying to think of every last worry and excuse. "Yes," I agreed again. "But she would never want for anything in regards to material things, including clothes to keep her warm. I'm sure Alice is already planning all their future shopping trips."

Bella rolled her eyes, but smiled before sobering once more. "Sending her to school would be hard, at least until she's old enough to keep all the vampire stuff to herself. She won't get that socialization, having to stay at home all the time."

"Think of the education she'll receive, what with all the centuries of knowledge at her disposal. She'll learn more from our family than from any school she'll ever attend. And the field trips! Imagine being able to take her to China to learn about the history of the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, or taking her to Egypt to see the pyramids, or Germany and the remains of the Berlin Wall. Yes, all of that she can read about in the history books, but seeing it? It's a whole different world."

Finally, a laugh broke through, and Bella looked up at me, her eyes wide. "I really didn't hurt her?"

I shook my head. "You really didn't, love." I leaned down to brush her lips with mine. "She recognized you, did you know that?"

"You could read her mind?" she gasped.

Smiling lovingly down at her, I nodded. "She was more like Charlie than you, of course, in that regard. It was just little snatches, not nearly as easy to read as a normal human, and mainly colors, shapes, and faces. But your face flashed into her mind over and over again when you picked up her and held her. And Jasper said he could feel her emotions. When you picked her up, she felt happy and comfortable. Loved."

Bella looked awestruck, like she hadn't even thought that was possible. I held back my laughter as her jaw dropped; she looked like a fish as she opened and closed her mouth, trying to figure out what she wanted to say.

"Are you ready to go back now?" I asked, grinning. "We should probably talk to the family some. I think some decisions need to be made."

Bella threw herself into my arms and kissed me, her hands holding me close. "Thank you," she murmured against my lips. "Thank you for coming back to me and for giving me my daughter back. I love you, Edward."

"Always, Isabella." I kissed her once more before tugging her hand. "Let's go home, love."


	25. Chapter 25

**Bella's POV**

"Family meeting time," Edward said softly, nuzzling my neck with his nose.

We were on the new bed in his room and had been spending some quiet time, thinking of the upcoming talk with his family. We'd gotten back to the house earlier to find a note from Alice telling us to enjoy some time alone since everyone was out hunting—or other things—and they'd be back in a few hours. Edward and I had made love, slowly and gently, before curling up together and simply breathing one another in.

I nodded, kissed him once, and then got up and carefully pulled on my jeans and T-shirt. I was getting more and more used to my strength and how to temper it with everyday tasks like dressing, writing, and using the phone. Edward tugged on his own jeans and a sexy, dark green Henley and then held his hand out. Nervously, I entwined my fingers with his and walked down the stairs together to the living room, where the family was gathered.

The rest of the family was talking quietly as we walked in, giving us what little privacy they were able, and we settled onto the couch beside Esme. Carlisle then leaned forward from his seat on the chair beside the couch and looked at me, smiling gently.

"How are you, Bella?" His eyes were a warm butterscotch, his smile genuine.

I felt myself smiling in response. "I'm okay," I said honestly. "It was...harder being around Sue than I'd thought it might be, but I did okay. Lizzie was harder than I'd expected, but only because it was so hard emotionally—not the bloodlust."

Carlisle nodded, as though he'd suspected as much. "Alice said you had come to a decision?"

I looked over at her, wondering if she'd explained already what I'd decided.

"No details, Bella," she chirped, shaking her head at my unasked question. "Just that you had made your decision."

Nodding and giving her a small smile of thanks, I turned back to Carlisle. "I don't want to leave Lizzie. I think with help from all of you, we'll be okay. I don't know what the future holds, but I do know I can't just leave her."

There was a moment of silence as Carlisle looked to Edward, who nodded.

"Out loud, please," I grumbled, elbowing him gently.

"Sorry, love," he said sheepishly. "Carlisle was just wondering if I'd mentioned needing to move, and I told him I had."

I sighed. "Yes, I know the difference in my appearance would be too much for Forks, as would my being here but not coming into town ever. I'm assuming you guys have some ideas on where would be a good place to move?"

Alice bounced from her perch on Jasper's lap. "There's a town called Rhinelander, Wisconsin," she started excitedly. "From what I saw, it'll be perfect!"

For the next several minutes, she explained to everyone that it was just under a hundred and fifty miles northwest of Green Bay—that announcement was met with a tremendous shout of "Go Packers!" from Emmett, making the rest of us laugh and roll our eyes—and only a short run to not only Nicolet National Forest, but Ottawa National Forest in Canada, where there was plenty of wildlife for hunting. In addition, the percentage of days that were too sunny for us to be out in was less than twenty-five.

"Carlisle, there's a small hospital in Rhinelander, and we'll find a house close to the forest so you can commute into town for work," she told him. Looking to me, she continued, "It'll be a good place for Lizzie, too. Not too cold, not too far from Charlie, and not too remote—while still being remote enough for a newborn."

"It sounds perfect, Ali. Thank you," I told her, smiling.

Once everyone agreed, Carlisle cleared his throat. "What are your plans for Charlie?"

I shrugged, frowning. I wasn't sure what I'd be allowed to tell him. I knew I'd have to tell him something because I had to be able to explain my absence and my showing back up to take Lizzie.

"If you could do anything, sweetheart," Esme started softly, "what would you choose to do?"

Biting my lip, I thought for a minute. If I told my dad about this, it could bring him danger somewhere down the road, and I wanted to protect him from this world. Having knowledge of wolves and vampires would present new worries for him about Lizzie and myself, but it would also clear up some things he'd been suspicious about. However, I knew my dad; as a parent and a police chief, he'd want answers and justice—and at least I could give him one of those.

I met their eyes before finally answering, "I would tell him—" I took a deep breath in, finally blowing it off with a sigh "—everything."

I don't know what I'd been expecting in reaction—shock, fear, anger—but what I got were only looks of acceptance, sympathy, and support.

"Alice said that would be your choice," Carlisle said in explanation. "We discussed it earlier, and if that's what you would like to do, we'll support you. We know your father well enough to know he won't go public with the secret. Because of his relationships with Sue, Billy, and others in the pack, he'll also have their full protection. If you think he can handle the news of your change and the existence of vampires—"

"And wolves!" Emmett said, grinning. "I can't wait to see his reaction to those furry mutts."

Carlisle shook his head, chuckling, and continued, "—and wolves, then we'll do what we can to help you."

I looked nervously at Edward, unsure as to what I should do.

He smiled sympathetically. "If you want to do that, Bella, we will. I can't tell you if it's the right thing to do. Only you know your dad well enough to know what you think he'd want."

I loved that he trusted me to leave the decision in my hands, but I really wanted his opinion—something I valued very much. "I know," I said with a sigh, "and I appreciate your support more than I can say. But Edward...what do _you_ think I should do? I know you'll support me in my choice, but in _your_ opinion, what should I do?"

He closed his eyes and blew out a breath, finally opening them and leaning in to cup my head with his large palm. His fingers cradled the back of my neck, while his thumb brushed gently against my jaw. "I would tell him everything. If circumstances were different—if you weren't already a vampire, if you didn't have Lizzie—my answer would be different. There would be no need to draw him into a life which could be dangerous for him to have knowledge of. But because of those things, he's already in this life, whether he knows it or not. At least if he knows, we, along with the wolves, will be able to protect him better, and things with Lizzie will be a lot less...messy."

We sat for several minutes, lost in our thoughts. I could see the support and acceptance—not to mention the unconditional love—in his beautiful butterscotch eyes, and in that moment, I made my decision.

"Then I guess that's settled," I told the family. "We tell Charlie everything."

~*~FC~*~

"I know you can't see anything with us there, Alice," Jake said apologetically, "but this is what Bella decided, and I'm going to respect that."

I sighed, wishing that there was a better way, but after talking with Edward and then Jake and Sue, this was what I'd decided.

"C'mere, darlin'," Jasper said, pulling his wife into his arms. "I know you just want to keep everyone safe, and the best way you know how to do that is by looking ahead, but you'll just have to trust them."

Alice stayed stiff for a moment before she finally nodded. "I know," she sighed. "I know, really. I just hate not being able to see!"

I smothered a laugh, imagining her stomping her foot with that declaration. "Thank you, Alice," I said sincerely, rather than showing my amusement. "I know you want to help. I think you're just going to have to suffer along with the rest of us non-future-seeing creatures."

"Hey," Seth piped up, grinning. "No worries, pixie. Charlie loves us, and he'll be so glad to see Bella, nothing else will matter."

Alice finally smiled, unable to be so sad around Seth, who she—as well as the rest of the family—had taken a real shine to. "Yeah, Seth, I know. I just worry."

A buzz from Jake's cell phone stopped all conversation. He pulled it from his pocket and flipped it open, taking a second to read before looking up. "Charlie's home and dinner's done. Sue said if we could come over now, that would be good."

"Ready, love?" Edward asked, slipping his hand into mine.

Everyone was watching me, waiting for my decision.

Taking a slow, deep breath, I let it out, nodding. "Let's do this."

It was a normal, overcast day in Forks, so the ten of us ran through the woods, moving across the road unobserved and into the trees behind Charlie's house. Jake and Seth shifted back, quickly pulling on their shorts and tees.

"You guys will be able to hear everything?" Jake asked once more, looking to me and then Carlisle.

Carlisle answered, "We'll be able to hear fine."

Jake nodded, looked to Seth, and the two of them slipped through the trees until they came out near the front of the house and moved out of our view.

I shifted in Edward's arms, clutching his shirt nervously. This was it... Everything now rested in Jacob's hands.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Edward's POV**

I held Bella close as the wolves knocked once on the front door and then entered without waiting for an invitation. When Charlie and Sue called out hellos, I watched through Seth's thoughts as he gave them both hugs.

_God, Charlie looks like crap,_ he thought. _Oh, sorry, Edward. Don't tell Bella that._

He was right, unfortunately. Charlie looked like he'd aged ten years since I'd left Forks two years before. This wasn't the first time I'd seen him since I'd returned to Forks—I'd seen him through the wolves' memories and then up close and personal through Carlisle and Esme's thoughts the day he'd come to find if I was in town and if Bella was there with me, but somehow, he seemed...worse, somehow. The new lines around his eyes and mouth, the gray pallor to his skin, hooded eyes filled with sadness and worry, and shoulders that seemed to have the weight of the world on them.

In short, he looked like a man grieving for his daughter.

Emmett was restless as we waited for the initial pleasantries to finish. "When are they going to get down to it?" he grumbled, kicking at one of the large trees behind us.

Just then, as if in answer to his complaint, Sue began to speak.

"Charlie, do you remember the stories Billy's told you? The Quileute legends?" she asked, her voice shaky.

I watched through Seth's eyes as Charlie popped the tab on a can of beer—Vitamin R, Bella had told me he called it once—nodding.

"Oh yeah, Billy loves to tell those stories when we go out fishing. There's one about a beaver and one about a Thunderbird, I think. Why?"

Seth kept looking back and forth between his mother and Charlie, his thoughts a blur of nerves and fear and excitement. When Sue spoke, he finally looked back at her and settled in to listen.

As I listened to Sue talk about the tribe being descended from wolves and their ability to shift shapes, I watched my family.

Bella's eyes were closed, her hands were clenched into fists, and her teeth were nervously chewing on her bottom lip. Carlisle and Esme were quiet, watching Bella with love and concern. Emmett was listening with rapt attention to the story inside—even though he'd heard the story many times before—while holding Rosalie, who was quiet inside and out.

Alice was sitting on the ground with her back against a tree, knees drawn up and head down. It was a pose I'd seen her in many times, when she was trying—and failing—to have a vision. From her thoughts, she knew it was pointless, but she wasn't going to stop trying.

Jasper was looking between his wife, Bella, and the house. When he caught my gaze, he frowned. _I'm trying to keep everyone on an even keel,_ he thought to me. _Alice is...frustrated, Bella and Sue are scared, and Charlie is curious. It's a lot to handle._

I nodded my silent thanks and turned back to the conversation in the house. Sue had just mentioned the tribe's story of the cold ones—explaining that was the term the tribe used for vampires—which had piqued Charlie's interest.

"So these...cold ones," Charlie said. "They're the enemies of your people?" He sounded skeptical, and the snatches of thoughts from him showed the same.

"Y-Yes," Sue replied hesitantly.

There was silence then. Charlie's thoughts were fuzzy, like I couldn't quite get tuned in to the station I wanted on the radio.

_Where...going with this? Why...Seth and Jake..._

Through Seth's thoughts, I saw Charlie focus in on him and Jacob.

When he finally spoke aloud, he sounded suspicious. "Boys, what's going on?"

No one said anything.

"Why are you telling me these stories now?" Charlie questioned.

"Oh, God," Bella cried softly, burying her face harder against my shoulder. "Just get it over with, please!"

I held her tight as Jacob spoke.

"Because they're true."


	26. Chapter 26

**Charlie's POV**

I took a drink from the beer in my hand before setting it down on the small table beside my chair, listening to Sue going on about the legends of the tribe. I had no idea why she was telling me all this; it wasn't anything I hadn't heard before. Most of them were rather boring, but then, I'd never been big into the supernatural, mystical stuff. Two particular stories, though, I'd always found...beyond ridiculous. Wolves and vampires. Yeah, right.

"So these...cold ones," I said. "They're the enemies of your people?" Even I could hear the skeptical tone in my question.

Sue stumbled over her answer, and the look she shot Seth and Jake raised the hair on the back of my neck.

_Where are they going with this? Why are Seth and Jake even here?_

My thoughts were a mess, racing from one question to another.

I turned my gaze on the boys, neither of whom so much as twitched a muscle. Finally finding my voice, I spoke like the cop I was, like I was interrogating a suspect. "Boys, what's going on?"

When no one said anything, I spoke again. "Why are you telling me these stories now?"

When Jacob spoke, it was calm and authoritative, making him seem much older than he was. "Because they're true."

I couldn't help it. I barked out a laugh, slapping my hand down on my thigh as I shook my head. "Good one, kid," I said between chuckles. "April Fools' Day was yesterday. You have to get up pretty damn early to pull one over on me. You should know that by now."

I drained off the last of my beer, shaking my head again at the ridiculousness of it all. _Wolves and vampires,_ I thought, chuckling again. Those were things straight out of Hollywood, not real life.

"It's no joke, Charlie," Jake insisted, sounding rather firm.

"Yeah, Charlie," Seth chimed in with a serious look on his young face. "We're serious."

Fine. If they were that determined to pull my leg, I'd make them really work for it...

Smirking, I said, "Fine. Prove it," expecting them to back down and agree they'd been fucking with me.

Instead, what I got was quite different.

Without a word, Jacob and Seth stood, moving to the back door of the house. Sue held out her hand, waiting for me to take it.

Unsure of what was going on—a feeling I hated completely—I wrapped her smaller hand in mine and let her lead me to the back steps.

Jake was out in the yard, standing away from everything and everyone. Seth stood on the steps with me, one hand on my shoulder.

"What's going on?" I asked Seth, who just nodded out Jacob's way.

I turned my head again just in time to see him strip off his shirt and shorts. Whipping my head around, I saw that Sue had her eyes covered.

"What the hell? Jacob Ephraim Black, why in the hell are you getting naked in my backyard?"

That was when time seemed to stand still. The air almost seemed to vibrate, and between one blink and the next, the young man I'd known since birth was gone and a huge, horse-sized, reddish tan...wolf stood in his place.

I gasped, stumbling backwards and nearly falling on my ass on the top step leading into the house. I scrambled to get myself back to my feet, automatically reaching to my hip, where I always carried my sidearm.

"Shh, Charlie," Seth muttered beside me. "Chill, man. It's just Jacob. He's not gonna hurt you."

I was still gasping, unable to draw big, deep, effective breaths, and I was sure I was doing a great impression of a damn fish.

"What the hell _is_ that thing?" I was finally able to vocalize.

"It's Jacob," Sue said with a sigh. "Like we said, Charlie, the legends are true." She paused before adding, "All of them."

I felt anger boiling up from my gut. I wasn't sure what I was most upset about—whether it was because I'd been deceived all my life, thinking this shit was just made-up stories that got told generation after generation around the campfire, or because for whatever unknown reason, they'd interrupted my otherwise orderly life, turning it into something from a sci-fi movie.

"Why did you tell me this?" I finally growled. "Why didn't you just let me live in my safe little world, where I didn't know this supernatural shit exists? Don't I have enough to deal with right now?"

I stalked down the few steps to the ground, pacing back and forth as I muttered to myself. I was careful not to turn my back on the beast out in the yard. Beast...Jacob...

_Shit, how the hell did I not know the son of my best friend was a...a monster? And if he's one of those things, does that mean..._

That thought shook me, and I realized Seth was standing at the bottom of the steps just a few feet away, watching me.

"Y-You're one of them, too, aren't you?" I gasped, again reaching for my gun, which unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—for me was locked up in the gun safe inside. I knew I was probably overreacting. After all, Seth and Jacob were like sons to me. But shit! How the hell else was I supposed to react, learning two young men I'd spent years being around could change into wolves? And vampires were real, too? Christ!

Seth nodded slowly. "Yes, sir. I shifted for the first time not long after Jake." He frowned. "Charlie, you're perfectly safe from both of us. We're not going to hurt you." Then he grinned. "Jake's just a big puppy."

I looked out into the yard and unwillingly chuckled when the wolf that was Jacob flopped onto his side, rolled to his back, and looked over at me, tongue hanging out. Then I thought of something and realized they'd never answered my questions.

Hands in my pockets, I moved ever so closer to Seth, still slightly wary, despite their reassurances and Jacob's antics.

"So, uh...why _did_ you tell me this?" I asked again. "I mean, why now? Why tell me at all?"

Out in the yard, the Jacob wolf rolled smoothly to his feet, grabbing the discarded clothes in his teeth, and then kept his head down as he moved off to the trees.

"Where's he going?" I asked Seth, looking at the wolf's retreating back.

Seth smiled, although it didn't seem like a happy smile, but rather a sad, resigned one. "He's going to shift back and dress." He turned to look at his mother. "Mom, you wanna go check on the baby?"

"What?" I asked, wondering if I'd missed Lizzie crying. "Why?"

Sue looked long and hard at Seth for a moment, and then her gaze slid to me. Finally, she nodded, sighing, and turned to go inside.

"Seth? Tell me what's going on. Now," I ordered, again using the tone I would've used on a suspect while on the job.

Just then, a noise at the back of the yard caught my attention, and I turned, expecting to see Jacob walking out of the trees. My guess had been right, but the person next to him, walking slowly, deliberately, shocked the hell out of me.

I gasped her name quietly, feeling my eyes welling with tears I'd miraculously been keeping at bay since the day she hadn't come home.

"Bella..."

Before I could think, my feet were propelling me forward, and I rushed at my daughter, needing to make sure she was real.

"Whoa, Charlie," Jake said, holding me back just before I reached her. "Take it slow, man."

I started struggling against his iron-clad grip and then stopped when I really took a good look at the girl in front of me. She looked the same as I'd seen her last...but different. Her skin was even more pale than normal, her hair seemed more shiny, her lips darker and more full. But when my eyes reached hers, I recoiled, stepping back from Jake's grasp in a rush to protect myself from the deep red eyes of the creature my daughter had become.

Bella was a... _"Vampire,"_ I gasped, feeling my heart sputter and clench in my chest.

"Breathe, Charlie," Jake instructed, towering over me as he kept from running. "Everything's gonna be okay."

"Your eyes..." I started, worried because they weren't the golden color described by Sue a few minutes before; they were the color of fire, of blood, and Sue had said those red-eyed demons were killers.

Bella was utterly still in front of me, her arms wrapped around herself, like she was holding herself together—something I hadn't seen her do since the Cullens had left town.

"Don't be scared, Dad," she said, her voice almost bell-like, but shaky. "They, uh... They'll change colors soon, just like the ones in Sue's story."

Shaking my head to clear it, I asked the question I was dreading most. "Did you..." Fuck, I didn't know if I wanted the answer to this or not! I ran a hand through my hair, tugging at the strands that were too long to be comfortable, and finally looked back up into those frightening eyes. "Did you kill someone?"

"No!" Bella gasped, shaking her head quickly. "Animals, Charlie. Not humans. It takes time to change colors after..."

Eying her warily, I nodded. "Did you, uh, ask for this?"

I had no idea who she'd have asked. As far as I knew, there were no red-eyed creatures running around Forks. The closest I could think of were the golden eyes of...

Suddenly, it all made sense. How the good doctor always seemed cold when he shook my hand, his eyes—hell, his entire family's eyes, pale skin, and unnatural beauty.

The Cullens were vampires.


	27. Chapter 27

**Bella's POV**

I could see Charlie beginning to panic even more as he fully realized what I'd become. He was so pale, he could've been a vampire himself, and he was clutching his chest; I was worried he was going to have a heart attack. Yet, I could hear the beats, and while faster than normal, they were steady.

"D-Did one of the Cullens do this to you?" he asked finally, his tone a mix of worry and absolute fury. "Did you _ask_ for this, Isabella? What were you thinking? What about Lizzie? What about me?"

If I could've cried, I would have. The anguish in his voice was ripping me apart inside.

"No!" I told him quickly, shaking my head. "No, Dad, I didn't choose this. I-It wasn't the Cullens. It's a very long, complicated story. Umm..." I clenched my fists into the hem of my shirt, biting my lip. "Can, uh, can we go inside and talk about this? It's not really something I want to talk about"—I waved my hand around—"out here."

Charlie looked over his shoulder to the house and then turned back to me. "Is it safe? For Sue and the baby, I mean."

I smiled as Jake finally spoke. "It'll be fine, Chief. Seth and I will be in there, but Bella's fine. I wouldn't let her around you if she wasn't."

My father nodded, still slightly hesitant. He took a deep breath, turned his back on us, and walked to the house, slipping inside the open door.

Now that it was time to tell Charlie my story, my nerves got the better of me. I gasped for a breath I didn't really need, bending at the waist with my hands on my knees. My eyes were closed, so I heard and smelled Edward before I saw him. He had me wrapped in his arms before I could say a word.

"It's gonna be okay, love," he murmured, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Would you like me to be in there with you?"

Mutely, I nodded, feeling a wave of emotion settle over me—calm, confidence, and support from Jasper, who was hidden in the trees at the edge of the yard.

I squared my shoulders, drawing in a deep breath, and thanked him quietly before taking Edward's hand and walking to the door, where Jake was waiting.

"Ready, Bells?" he asked, smiling sympathetically. "He'll be okay. Charlie's tough. He can handle it."

"Thanks, Jake," I told him. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Nervously, I walked through the door and into the living room, spotting my dad standing beside Seth across from the couch. When he raised an eyebrow at me and then the couch, I knew that's where he wanted me. I wasn't surprised when he turned a dark, angry look on Edward, but I wanted to stop him before he said anything.

"Dad, this isn't Edward's fault," I said quickly, pulling Edward to the couch with me.

"Did you know, Bella?" he asked, arms crossed over his chest and still glaring. "What he was, I mean. When you were dating him, did you know?"

I nodded slowly and answered, "I figured it out not long after I met him."

"And you still—" Charlie cut himself off, turning around and hitting the wall with such force that he left a fist-sized dent in the plaster. Without turning back to face me, he hissed, "Did he do this to you? Did he make you into a mo—"

"Bella is not a monster, Chief Swan," Edward said, his voice a low growl.

"I'm not talking to you," Charlie barked, whipping around and pointing at Edward.

"Charlie!" I gasped, gripping Edward's hand tighter. "Dad, please! This isn't Edward's fault. He didn't want this for me, even then."

His shoulders relaxed slightly, some of the ire leaving his eyes as they moved from Edward back to me.

"This... This wasn't supposed to happen now. Especially not like this," I said brokenly. "Please, Dad, sit down and listen."

Charlie shook his head, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms again. "Just tell me, Isabella," he said with a sigh. "Start at the beginning."

"I knew right away something was different about Edward and his family," I began without preamble, figuring the only way I would get it all out would be just to tell him.

I told Charlie everything—Edward saving me from Tyler's van and the men in Port Angeles, my guessing what he was because of the story from Jacob and all the clues I'd noticed in his looks, demeanor, and behavior, and finally, the baseball game and everything that had transpired with James.

Charlie's heart picked up again as I described the basics of what happened in Phoenix. "I think I'll take that seat now," he said quietly, staggering over to his chair and dropping down with a hard thud.

I looked worriedly at Edward, who said in a way Charlie couldn't hear, "Go on, love. He's okay."

I skipped all the details of my birthday party—Charlie knowing how close Jasper had come to attacking me would do him no good—and just said that after Phoenix, Edward had thought long and hard about staying in Forks and had realized that to keep me safe, he'd thought it best to remove himself and his family from my life.

"Not that it worked out exactly like that, of course," I sighed, glancing toward the stairs, where I knew my daughter was sleeping. "Still, as misguided as he may have been—and as badly as he handled it—he was only doing what he thought was right. I know that now." I squeezed his hand, showing him once again that I'd forgiven him.

Charlie had listened quietly throughout my story, but he finally spoke. "What happened that day, Bells? Why are you...?" He motioned to me with a wave of his hand as a completion to his sentence.

"L-Laurent, the other man with James who had—" I paused, unsure of how to phrase it "—played everyone for fools and made us think he wasn't a bad guy, found me that day out in the woods. I'd gone out to a special place Edward had taken me to, and Laurent tracked me down there. He..." I swallowed, blinking back the sting of venom in my eyes. "He bit me, intent on draining me, but was interrupted when Jake and the pack showed up. Jake saw what had happened and took me up into the mountains until I was finished changing."

Charlie's eyes flickered to Jake, "You knew she was al—" He cut himself off, obviously rethinking his wording. "You knew where she was and kept it from me?" he asked angrily.

"Charlie, I—" Jake started.

"Dad, no, don't blame Jake," I said vehemently. "We didn't think it would be safe for me to be around you. Most newborn vampires are...out of control. We thought it would be too dangerous."

He settled slightly again, scrubbing a hand over his face. "So if you're so dangerous to me, why are you here? Should I be worried?"

Edward spoke again then, explaining about Alice's gift, everything we'd learned about familial blood, and the fact that I was a shield, all of which combined to lead us to where we were now.

Cracking the first smile since we'd arrived, Charlie said, "I always knew there was something special about you, kid."

I chuckled, shaking my head, relieved that he seemed to be taking everything in stride.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Edward's POV**

Bella and Charlie continued to talk as I listened to as much of his thoughts as I could. It was important for us to know what he was really thinking, so before Bella had revealed herself, I'd asked her not to mention my telepathy until I did. Charlie was hard enough to read without him worrying about censoring his thoughts.

At first, Bella explained more about vampires in general—our strength and speed, enhanced abilities, and the usual myths about sunlight, crosses, garlic, and holy water. Charlie was stunned throughout it all—even more so when she explained more about our diet. His thoughts were muffled, but from what I could tell, he was slightly appeased that we appeared less like the monsters of the movies than he'd thought at first.

When Bella explained that we'd been by the house on a handful of occasions since her change—first outside and then in—to test our theories and her control, Charlie's mind exploded so much that I heard him clearly.

_I can't believe they would risk Bella like that! What were they thinking? What if she hadn't been able to control herself? I wouldn't have been able to stop her!_

Verbally, he simply asked, "I'm assuming those visits went well, or else you wouldn't be here now."

Speaking quickly, at a pitch Charlie was unable to hear, I told Bella, "He's very upset that you would take the chance to come here without anyone. You might explain that you never came alone, and that fact combined with Alice's talent made it as safe as possible."

Nodding almost imperceptibly, even to me, she looked up at her father. "Of course, I never came alone," Bella said, smiling wryly. "Even though I'm apparently very abnormal, no one—including me—was willing to risk Lizzie's safety, nor yours and Sue's. Edward was always with me, as were at least two other members of the family. Jake and Seth were even here a couple of times as well."

Charlie nodded, quiet and lost in his thoughts for a minute. He'd slowly been losing the fear he'd been feeling since seeing the wolves and then realizing what Bella had become.

When he asked about my history and the ones of my family, six voices in my head sounded off at once.

_Feel free to tell him what you think he can take, son,_ Carlisle said.

Esme said almost the exact same thing. _Whatever Charlie can handle hearing of my past, you're free to share with him, Edward._

Emmett was, of course, the loudest, shouting, _Hells, yeah! Tell him all about the bear and about my angel, Rosie!_

Alice was a cross between Emmett and our "parents," excited for Charlie to hear the story she loved to tell of how a vision had lead her to Jasper—who just said, _As long as Alice is okay with it, I'm an open book, Edward._

Rose was much more cautious—she'd never liked opening up to anyone—but like the rest of the family, she agreed to let me tell what I needed to tell.

Unable to hear their thoughts of consent, Bella said, "Oh, well, Dad, I don't know if the family would apprec—"

"It's all right, Bella," I said, squeezing her hand gently. "I was given the okay for one of us to tell the stories if Charlie asked."

She smirked, making me think she'd guessed when I'd been given the permission. "Oh, okay. Well, why don't you do it? You can recall everything better."

Turning around slightly to face Charlie, I began with Carlisle's story. "Carlisle is the eldest of our family. As best he can remember, he was born sometime in the 1640s, in London, England."

Charlie gasped, mouth agape. "Dr. Cullen is almost four hundred years old? That's so...old!" He shook his head, looking sheepish. "Sorry, I mean, that's...uh... I'd have guessed twenty-seven."

From outside, my family broke out into peals of laughter, and when Bella grinned over at me, I knew she'd heard them, as well.

"Yes, well, he does look good for his age," I confirmed, grinning at him.

For the next few minutes, I told Charlie about Carlisle trying to nurse my parents back to health and stealing me away from the hospital after my mother's dying wish, as well as the rest of my family's pasts. Charlie listened without much comment, only showing extreme reactions to Esme's and Rose's stories. He found it amusing that Emmett now got his revenge on the bear that had killed him by hunting bears whenever he was able, and he was captivated by the idea that Alice had known to wait so long for Jasper in the diner in Philadelphia.

"That must come in very handy sometimes, I'd imagine," he said of Alice's gift. Then his eyes clouded over. "Why didn't she see...?" His eyes cut to Bella.

"None of this was Alice's fault, Dad," Bella said, frowning. She came as soon as she saw something had happened to me."

It took a moment, but finally, Charlie nodded.

Just as he was about to speak again, I heard a change in the fluttering little heartbeat from Bella's room and then a soft cry.

Lizzie was awake.

I could tell Bella wanted to see her, but Charlie's thoughts gave him away before he could speak. I gripped Bella's hand, hoping to keep her calm.

"Bells," Charlie started, "I...I think you should go for now. I need some time to process all this. I know she's your daughter, but she's my granddaughter, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with all of that yet."

Bella visibly recoiled slightly, as if she'd been struck. Pain was mixed with understanding and longing as she smiled sadly.

Charlie's thoughts registered surprise at the emotions even he could see there.

"I understand," she whispered, looking over at the stairs wistfully, as if her gaze was enough to suddenly conjure an image of her daughter.

After a moment, she stood, releasing my hand as she stepped over to her father, who had also stood. Slowly, as if approaching a skittish animal, she wrapped her arms around his waist, dropping her head to his shoulder.

Her words, said quietly enough that they were meant for Charlie's ears only, were still easily heard over the small room. "I love you, Dad. I'm sorry."

And then she was gone, out the back door at a speed only vampires and wolves could see.

Charlie gasped and looked around, seeing nothing but the door as it stood open from where she'd exited. As he became more agitated and nervous, his thoughts became more and more clear.

_I don't want...gone forever. God...little girl. I just need time, Bella. Please, I wish you understood!_

"Jake and Seth know how to reach us," I said softly, nodding once at Charlie before running out the door after Bella.


	28. Chapter 28

**Bella's POV**

Edward and I were curled together on his bed the next morning, his arms around me in comfort, when he suddenly stiffened.

"What?" I asked quickly, wondering what had put him on alert.

"Charlie's coming over," he said, relaxing back against me. "Alice just told me he'll be here in thirty minutes."

I looked over my shoulder at the clock on the wall and noticed it was close to eight in the morning. "He must be going in to work late," I commented, feeling unsettled as I thought about what his visit might entail. Edward had explained about my dad's thoughts from the night before, but I was still nervous.

~*~FC~*~

"_Bella," Edward called as he caught up to me in the trees. "Stop, please."_

_I shook my head and continued running. I knew I wasn't going to go far—I couldn't...I couldn't leave Lizzie—but my heart was aching at the thought of my father turning his back on me, and I needed to run or I'd break down._

_With Edward beside me, I raced up into the mountains. When I finally reached the cave where Jacob had kept me hidden during my change, I collapsed, burying my face in my hands. I felt like crying, I felt like screaming, throwing things, but I did none of those things. Instead, I hid—from the world, from Edward...from myself. For a few minutes, nothing outside my little personal space existed. I was numb to everything and everyone outside the little circle I'd drawn around myself in my head._

_The moment I lifted my head, intent on searching for Edward, he scooted a few inches until he could wrap his arms around me, and pulled me onto his lap. How he knew that's what I'd been seeking, I didn't know, but I wasn't going to question it. I just clung to him as he brushed kisses across my hair and murmured words of love._

_After a few more minutes of silence, he finally spoke. "He doesn't hate you, you know." His voice was quiet, thoughtful._

_I swallowed around the sudden lump in my throat. "Wh-What?"_

"_Charlie," he explained. "His thoughts came through loud and clear before I left. He wanted you to understand that he didn't want you gone for good. He just needed time, and he hopes you understand."_

"_He wasn't scared of me?" I asked timidly. "He doesn't hate me?"_

"_No, love," Edward rushed to reassure me. "He really doesn't."_

~*~FC~*~

Shaking myself from my memories of the night before, I kissed Edward, showing him how much it had meant, having him there with me all night.

"We'd better go downstairs, huh?" I asked, fighting the urge to protect myself by running away from my dad before he got to the Cullens' house. If I wasn't there to see the fear and anger—or maybe even worse, the disappointment—in his eyes, then I could pretend like nothing was wrong.

At Edward's nod, I sighed and stood, holding my hand out for him to take.

Together, we walked down the stairs, meeting the rest of the family in the living room.

"Don't worry, Bellsy," Emmett said. "The chief won't be able to be mad at you for long. I'd say if he's coming over now, it's a good thing, right?" He grinned from his spot along one wall.

Giving him a halfhearted smile at best, I nodded. "Thanks, Em. Hopefully you're right." Then I looked at Alice, who was perched on Jasper's lap on one of the dining room chairs. "Have you seen anything, Alice?"

From her expression and the way Edward froze again, I knew she had.

"Tell me," I growled, really not in the mood for them tip-toeing around me.

"He's bringing Lizzie," she said, smiling tentatively.

I felt hope bubble up in my chest. "That's a good thing, right?" I asked, looking around the room. "I mean, surely he wouldn't bring her if he was just going to tell me to leave and never come back." Then I realized that was a distinct possibility. Gasping, I asked, "He wouldn't just bring her to try to force me into saying goodbye, would he?"

"I don't think so, Bella," Alice answered. "He keeps changing his mind about different things, so I can't get a solid read on him, but I haven't seen him try anything like that."

Nodding, I smiled my thanks and went back to picking at a stray thread on my jeans until Edward pulled my hand away, holding it tightly on top of his thigh.

"Relax, love," he murmured. "Everything's gonna be okay."

A few minutes later, I tensed again as we heard Charlie's cruiser pull up at the end of the driveway, slowly making its way up to the house. His heart was beating slightly faster than normal, and when he stopped in front of the garage, it skipped a beat before settling. I heard him exhale once, and whatever he was thinking must've been calming him, because his breathing and heartbeat settled to a much more normal pattern.

He began whispering sweetly to Lizzie as he got her out of the back seat. I could tell he was trying to be quiet, but there was no way I was able to miss the words that caused my now-still heart to flip in my chest.

"C'mon, Lizzie girl," Charlie murmured to the baby. "Let's go see your momma, huh? Yeah, you'll love that." Then his tone turned wry. "Long as she doesn't try to eat us."

Emmett cracked up at the last part. "Drink, maybe," he cackled, smacking his thigh.

Edward growled at Emmett's tasteless joke while Rose jabbed her elbow hard into her husband's stomach from her position on his lap.

"Kidding, kidding!" Emmett said with a groan. "Bellsy knows I'm just teasing her. Relax. She's got this thing under control, right, baby sis?"

His confidence in me made me grin, even through my nerves, and I chuckled. "Sure, Em. Thanks."

He nodded once and winked before bending his head down and whispering words to Rose that I knew I didn't want to hear.

We were all still as Charlie walked slowly up the front steps to the door, and when he knocked once, Carlisle smiled over at me and moved to the entry to answer.

"Hello, Chief Swan," Carlisle said as soon as the door opened. "Please come in."

I heard Charlie hesitate before stepping across the threshold. His shoes squeaked slightly on the floor of the entry, the soles damp from the dew-covered ground. "Thank you," he said gruffly. "Bella here?"

"Yes, of course. She's in the living room, right around the corner."

Three seconds later, Carlisle walked through the open doorway, followed by a cautious Charlie carrying Lizzie in her car seat. From her even breathing and soft exhalations, I could tell she was asleep.

Charlie startled as his eyes fell on the group gathered in the room, but his shoulders relaxed slightly when his glance landed on Edward and me, sitting together on the couch. "Hey, Bells," he said, his voice softer now.

"Hi, Dad," I responded, smiling nervously at him.

"I, uh..." He cleared his throat softly. "I knew we needed to talk more, and I figured it was about time for Lizzie to see her momma."

I had to work to keep my head on my shoulders with the force of my nod. "Yeah, thanks."

"Have a seat, Chief Swan," Esme said sweetly, gesturing to the chair across from the couch we'd left open for him.

"Thank you," Charlie answered with a nod. "And I thought I told you to call me Charlie, Mrs. Cullen." He moved toward the chair, careful not to jostle Lizzie too much.

"Charlie," Esme repeated, smiling. "Please, call me Esme."

Everyone was quiet as Charlie set the car seat down on the floor in front of the chair and unbuckled the baby, taking her and an extra blanket out of the seat and then moving two steps in my direction. "Uh, Jake said you'd probably want this," he said, holding the thick blanket out. "Something about—" he paused, drawing in a deep breath before continuing "—being a little too cold and hard for her."

Mutely, I nodded, taking the blanket from his outstretched hands and putting it over my left arm like I had the first time I'd held her after my change. Once that was settled, he leaned down and carefully placed Lizzie in my arms.

I cradled my daughter gently to me, feeling my eyes sting as I looked down into my angel's face. "Thanks, Dad," I said softly.

Lizzie startled at the sound of my voice and opened her eyes, gazing up at me like she'd done so many times before. Before I could even blink, she threw her hand out and found my finger, grasping it tightly—something that was routine, even now.

I expected her to jerk away from my touch—the cool temperature, if nothing else—but I was once again shocked and awed when, instead of moving away, she gripped me tighter, her tiny fingers squeezing with all her might.

"Hi, baby," I whispered. "Don't worry. Momma's got you. I'm never going anywhere again, I promise."

My voice was much calmer than I was feeling inside, but Lizzie definitely recognized that it was me. She focused her gaze on my face, gurgling happily up at me and waving our hands around as she kept her grip on my finger.

I could hear the conversations going on around me—Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice were gathered behind the couch, looking over my shoulder as they cooed at Lizzie and made comments about how cute she was—but all of it was muted. My focus was entirely on my precious daughter. Her blood and Charlie's didn't even really register as anything more than just different scents in the room.

Lizzie finally began looking around at the different faces hovering behind me, smiling at what I assumed were silly faces made by Emmett—or Uncle Emmett, as I heard him proclaim proudly.

As they began to settle and move back to their places around the room, I finally looked back at my dad. "Thank you for coming by," I said quietly, still incredibly nervous.

"I, uh..." he began, clearing his throat once more before starting again. "I'm sorry I made you feel like that yesterday. It was a lot to take in." There was a deep breath before he looked fully up at me and sighed. "I didn't know what to think or say, Bells. But I talked a lot to Sue, Jake, and Seth last night. The kids are pretty persuasive." He chuckled, shaking his head, before getting serious again. "Anyway, they explained more about the treaty and said I would need to talk to the Cullens more about the secret and what your plans are from here, so..."

I nodded. "We have to move," I started, rocking gently back and forth when Lizzie started fussing. Once she was calm, I explained, "I look too different to stay, and really, it's too dangerous for me to be around normal humans for the first year or so. My control is good with you and Lizzie..." My voice trailed off as I tried to think of how best to phrase it.

"Your control is exceptional, Bella," Carlisle said gently before turning to Charlie. "As we explained, Bella's gift and the familial aspect help with the control around the two of you, and even with Sue, her control is good because of the shield. But really, it's best not to chance it. Normally, we would take Bella up to Alaska, where some friends of ours live—another family that lives like ours—but because of the baby, we all thought it prudent to stay somewhere not quite as cold or remote."

"We found a place in Wisconsin, Charlie," Alice said in an upbeat voice. She ran through everything we knew about the new place, including the fact that it was only a short plane ride away, while I soothed an increasingly upset Lizzie.

"Dad," I interrupted, shooting Alice an apologetic look, "has she eaten yet?"

He shook his head. "She was still sleepy when we left the house, so I just brought her bottle. I changed her, but she hasn't eaten."

Making my first decision as a mother since my change, I looked at Edward and smiled. "Hold her for me?"

Edward looked hesitant, but held his arm out, accepting the transfer of Lizzie and blanket without further comment.

Brushing my finger lightly across her cheek, I took a deep breath and then turned to Charlie. "Come on, Dad. You can help me get the temperature right."

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Edward's POV**

I froze when Bella put the baby in my arms. It was like the entire world boiled down to just the two of us. Nothing and no one else existed for a moment but myself and the two-month-old baby I was holding for the first time. I heard Bella take Charlie into the kitchen. I heard my family collectively holding their breath. But all my focus was on Lizzie.

I'd seen her on our visits to Charlie's and in the thoughts of everyone in Bella's life, but seeing her in my arms was a whole different ball game. Her eyes, though green instead of the deep brown I used to see when I looked at Bella, were the same shape as her mother's. The green reminded me much of my own before my change. It was unusual to see a two-month-old with eyes other than blue, but from my memories of baby pictures of Bella, hers had been brown from the very beginning, too, so maybe something about it was genetic. Her thin, wispy hair was the same shade of brown, and her nose was just the right size, turned up slightly at the end. Her light pink lips were pursed, making sucking motions. Her cheeks were slightly chubby, although she was a small baby, and while her skin was pale, the apples of her cheeks were a light pink, reminding me of Bella's blush. In fact, aside from the eye color, she looked like a miniature Bella.

I was still gazing down at her when she flailed her arms and grasped onto my finger. When she looked up at me, her eyes focusing on my face, and grinned a happy baby smile, I could have sworn I felt something in my chest flutter. Suddenly, I knew it had taken me about as long to fall for little Elizabeth Anne-Marie Swan as it had for her mother. From that moment on, I knew I would love this little girl as if she were my own.


	29. Chapter 29

**Bella's POV**

I walked into the kitchen with Lizzie's bottle, feeling more confident than I had since I'd woken up as a vampire. I'd held my daughter, and she'd seemed to accept the changes—my temperature and how hard I knew my skin was now to her—without any problems. Feeling her grasp my finger and hearing her make her sweet baby noises directed to me as she always did had done wonders to boost my confidence. I knew I still needed to be careful, but I was completely sure of my ability to be her mother now, and that thought had me floating on air.

Charlie shuffled into the kitchen behind me, his footsteps tentative. "This is, uh, quite the house," he said as he gazed around the kitchen. His eyes moved to the refrigerator and then the oven before looking over at me questioningly.

I chuckled, knowing the question even without him verbalizing it. "To keep up their human appearances. It's why there's toilet paper in the bathroom, too."

He nodded, as if it made sense, even though his gaze moved around the kitchen once more.

I turned back to the sink and turned on the water, moving the tap to the approximate spot for warm—not hot—water. While I waited for it to come up to temperature, I opened the bottle and a can of powdered formula.

"Can you check this water for me, Dad?" I asked, moving aside to give him room at the sink.

He did as I'd asked, turning his hand over and moving his wrist under the running water. "It's a little warm," he said, moving the handle slightly to the right. After a moment, he tried again and then nodded. "That oughta do it."

I smiled gratefully and moved to run my hand under it. It felt nice against my skin, almost like I used to feel slipping under a thin blanket when I was chilly as a normal human.

"Why'd you do that?" Charlie asked curiously. "How...uh, how will you check it if I'm not around?"

"One of the...perks, I guess, is perfect recall," I explained softly as I measured out the formula. "Now that I've felt the correct temperature, I'll be able to find it again without a problem."

It was one of the things Edward had told me as we'd lain together hours before, talking about the future. He had been trying to reassure me that I would be able to do everything for Lizzie that I needed to do—like make her bottles or, as she got older, fix her meals.

"Huh," Charlie grunted, nodding in understanding. "Handy."

He was quiet again as I finished preparing the bottle. It only took a few good shakes to get the powder mixed. As I was packing back up the can of formula, he spoke again.

"So, uh, Jake told me some pretty crazy stuff."

I looked up to find his arms crossed, one hand stroking his mustache out of nervous habit.

I nodded. "I'm sure he did." Sighing softly, I leaned back against the counter, holding my arms apart, palms up. "Go ahead, Dad. I know you have to have more questions."

He glanced toward the other room before turning back to me. "Jake told me some pretty crazy stuff," he repeated nervously, eyebrows scrunched together, as if he was thinking hard. "Jasper can do...something with emotions, and Edward can..." He swallowed hard, shaking his head, as if to clear it. "He can read minds?"

Holding back my laughter at his obvious lack of comfort, I nodded slowly. "He can, yes."

Charlie raked a hand through his hair, cursing mostly under his breath. "The things I've thought..." he muttered, finally drawing a quiet giggle from me.

"He can't read my mind at all, and he said yours isn't very clear," I explained quickly when he looked up at me, questions in his eyes. "I promise, he tries not to listen, but he can't completely control it."

He was quiet for a minute before huffing and smoothing out his mustache once more.

Grinning, I nodded toward the living room. "Come on. Let's go back in so I can feed her. She's probably trying to gnaw on Edward's finger by now."

When we walked back into the living room, the entire family was still, watching Edward and Lizzie. For a moment, I was scared something had happened, but when he looked up, his eyes were suspiciously bright, and the smile he gave me was blinding.

"She's amazing," he explained in a voice so soft, Charlie didn't hear a sound.

Something inside me loosened at that moment, when I saw firsthand how he had accepted my daughter, regardless of her parentage and how she came to be.

Unable to reply, I simply slid onto the couch beside him and took the blanket he held out, positioning it in the crook of my arm before he laid Lizzie on top of it. Dodging her balled-up fists as she waved them around in the air, I guided the bottle to her mouth. Immediately, her lips parted, and she greedily sucked at the nipple, swallowing the formula like my hungry girl always did.

For a few minutes, I ignored everyone and concentrated on the baby in my arms. Then, something Emmett asked caught my attention, and I looked up.

"What?" I asked.

"I asked Charlie if he knew yet how he was going to handle your disappearance," Emmett explained patiently.

I looked over at my dad, who'd settled back into the seat he'd been in before.

Charlie frowned, stroking his thick mustache again. "You know when I called off the search, I explained that I'd forgotten you were gonna be gone for a few days for personal reasons, right?" At our nods, he continued. "I haven't figured more than that out yet," he admitted, looking over at Carlisle. "Do you have any ideas?"

"You can always just say she needed a break and didn't tell you where she'd be," Emmett answered for Carlisle.

I shook my head immediately, growling out, "No. I wouldn't have done that, and anyone who knows me would know that."

Emmett held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Whoa, Bella, chill. I know you wouldn't. I was just saying it was an option."

"It's not," I said firmly.

"What about saying you'd gone out shopping in Seattle for the day and thought you saw—" Rose paused, looking unsure, before clearing her throat and continuing "—Lizzie's father. You got scared because you thought he was out and hid."

Even though I was strong enough now to crush his skull with barely a flinch, the thought of Hunter still sent a shiver down my spine. I breathed deeply, careful to keep my touch light and not grasp Lizzie too tightly.

"But why wouldn't she have called her dad sooner?" Jasper asked curiously.

Alice froze, her gaze locked on something across the room as she had a vision. When she finally came back to us, she frowned. "If that's the excuse given, there'll be a lot of talk about it being a lie to cover up...well, stupid things."

Edward had frozen beside me, so I knew he'd seen whatever vision Alice had seen.

"Stupid things?" I asked, nudging Edward lightly with my elbow to get him to relax a bit.

"Drugs and a bender, among others," he answered for Alice, running a hand over his face. "That won't work. Keep thinking," he said to the room in general.

In my head, I started thinking through different scenarios, trying to find something that didn't leave me with a bad taste in my mouth.

When Edward's head snapped up and turned to Alice again, Alice shrugged. "Someone must've thought it."

"What?" Charlie asked, looking back and forth between them. "You wanna share with the class?"

They were quiet until finally, Edward sighed and reached up to run his fingers through his hair, tugging once on the long strands. "We could kill her," he said simply.

Charlie jumped to his feet, his face immediately coloring red in anger as he yelled, "Don't you think she's been through enough? Bella hasn't done anything wrong, dammit. I won't let you touch her."

"Dad!" I said softly, but firmly, moving Lizzie and the blanket to my shoulder. Patting her back gently, I explained, "He didn't really mean kill me. He meant that we could make it seem like I'd been in an accident or been killed, so it's easy to explain my disappearance."

Charlie's "Oh" was soft as he huffed a breath and sat back in his chair, all traces of fight gone from his body.

"What about Lizzie?" Rose asked, looking over at us as the little girl in question let loose with a loud burp—which got a good laugh and a "Go Lizzie!" from Emmett.

"What about her?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, your death would explain why you were gone, but what happens when Lizzie's suddenly gone, too?"

I frowned, looking down at my daughter. It was a question I certainly didn't have an answer to at the moment.

Esme, who'd been quiet through most of the conversation, said, "What about college?" When we all looked at her, she smiled softly and looked at me. "Charlie can explain that you had wanted him to keep it quiet until you knew more, but while you were gone, you decided you wanted to look at schools."

Alice froze for a moment and then bounced in her seat. "That's perfect! You can say you got in touch with Edward and met up with all of us, since we were going to school there, and you and Edward are back together. No one will question it too much when you and Lizzie move there, assuming that 'the good doctor'"—she used her fingers to put air quotes around the phrase—"and his wife would help you with the baby, since that's the kind of thing most people would expect from them."

"That would mean you could come and visit your old man sometimes?" Charlie asked me hopefully.

I wasn't sure how to answer, so I was grateful when Carlisle spoke. "She could, yes, although not for too many years. Since Bella won't age, she'll continue to look the same—and people will eventually begin to notice. But even then, it may be possible for her to visit without the town's knowledge, and of course, you would always be welcome to come and visit us."

Charlie beamed, looking gratefully at Carlisle, before turning back to me and sobering. "Bells, you're an adult, and this is your l—" he paused a moment, stumbling over the word "—life. What do you want to do?"

I was quiet, unable to really comprehend that I was sitting here with Charlie, discussing my life as a vampire. He was so calm, taking everything so well, that I felt like I was suddenly the one spinning out of control.

Charlie fidgeted. "Look, Bells, I know I worried you with my reaction yesterday. It was just a lot to process. This may not be the life I'd have chosen for you, but if you don't like that idea, I'll help you figure something else out. I know it won't be easy, but I'm here for you, no matter what you decide. If you need me with you, I'll be there. If you just need me here to cover for you, I can do that, too. What can I do, kid? Let me help."

Suddenly, I realized he really and truly meant it. "You would come with me?" I asked, disbelieving. I knew I couldn't ask him to do that—Forks was his home. His friends were here, _Sue_ was here—but the fact that he would offer amazed me.

"Of course," he grumbled, his eyes sparking to life as he gazed from me to the baby in my arms. "You're my girls. You may be an adult now, with a daughter of your own, and a—" his voice faltered for a moment, before he shook it off and continued "—a vampire, but you're my little girl. If that's what you needed, you know I'd do it."

I felt my eyes sting, and I handed Lizzie off to Edward before climbing to my feet. Everyone was still and quiet as I slowly walked to my father, one of the greatest, bravest men I'd ever known, and knelt down in front of him.

"Y-You d-don't hate m-me," I stuttered, clenching my hands into fists as they rested on my thighs, the realization that my father would voluntarily give up his life here in Forks to help me—even though I was a vampire—making me feel like the wind had been knocked out of me.

I was shocked when, before I could even register the movement, I was wrapped in his embrace. Not wanting to chance being that close to him while I was feeling this fragile, I held my breath and slowly reached my arms up, clinging to him.

"Bells," he huffed, his warm breath ghosting across my ear and moving my hair. "Of course I don't hate you. I could never hate you."

For a long time, he held me, patting me gently on the back. I could feel the warmth of his skin through his shirt under my fingers. I could hear every beat of his heart, every soft inhale and exhale as he breathed. I could smell the blood pumping through his veins and a combination of wood smoke and cinnamon, all the things that made up his unique scent. But those things barely registered in my mind as I let go of all my worries for a moment. I was suddenly seven years old again, visiting my dad for the summer. I vaguely remembered falling and scraping my hands and knees one day. He'd pulled me to his lap, holding me as he let me get my tears out, before leading me to the bathroom to clean up the injuries, small as they were. He'd taken such very good care of me then, and now, thirteen years later, he was dropping everything to take care of me again.

It was humbling.

"Bella," Edward said from the couch, keeping his voice quick and quiet. "Charlie's getting uncomfortable. You should move a little."

"Oh!" I gasped.

I didn't know how long we'd sat there, but apparently, it'd been a while, because when he finally released me and sat back, he groaned softly, shaking his arms out.

"Sorry, Dad," I murmured, a little embarrassed.

He chuckled. "No worries, kid. Just showing my age."

Once I was seated beside Edward again and holding a still-sleeping Lizzie, Rose spoke. "What about your mother?"

I frowned, not looking up to meet her eyes as I said, "She won't be a problem."

"Why?" she persisted.

Unsure how best to explain Renee, I finally just answered, "We talk on the phone every few months, but aside from a two-day trip after Lizzie was born, I haven't seen her since...the trial."

Charlie made a sound in his throat—almost like a cross between a growl and a curse—before saying, "It's just Renee being Renee. She felt responsible for what happened, and rather than actually take responsibility or facing it head-on, she's opted to...forget. It's easier to forget if she doesn't have to be around. She's traveling with Phil's team."

"She won't put up a fuss about Bella moving away with Lizzie?" Esme asked softly.

He shook his head. "She disagreed with Bella's choice to keep the baby, and while she loves the baby because Lizzie is her granddaughter, she doesn't much want to be a part of her life. She won't bat an eyelash at any of it."

It'd taken me a lot of time and talks with my father to get me to the point where I wasn't mad at my mother anymore. I was still disappointed, and it would always hurt—her rejection of my daughter and me, for that's what it was—but I'd stopped letting it affect me like it had at the beginning.

"She won't be a problem," I said softly, shrugging in acknowledgment of what Charlie had said.

Everyone was quiet for several minutes before Carlisle spoke, his voice soft and soothing. "Well, then, I suppose we have some plans to make."


	30. Chapter 30

**Bella's POV**

Charlie had spent several hours at the Cullens' house the day he brought Lizzie over, talking through what our next steps would be. It was a confusing plan, but it was honestly the best thing we could come up with, short of faking my death, which we couldn't do without faking Lizzie's, too—and I'd absolutely put my foot down on that. The plan was for Charlie to explain, if anyone asked, that when I'd left Lizzie with him on the twelfth, I hadn't told him where I was going, just that I needed some time alone and would be back later that day. Then I'd made a decision about needing more time by myself, but Charlie hadn't gotten my message, so when I didn't come home, he'd thought something had happened to me. He'd finally reached me when I'd bought a charger for my dead cell phone, but it had taken a few days.

We'd also decided on a way to explain why Lizzie and I were moving away from Forks, including the return of the Cullens back into my life. It all seemed kind of complicated, but my dad had promised he wouldn't have a problem, and Alice had assured us it would work. She'd been able to see that, while there would still be some curiosity about why Charlie had thought I was missing, most people would blindly accept the lies.

When he left late that morning to go to work, he'd taken Lizzie home to Sue so nothing would seem amiss, since I was supposed to be gone. I would be "coming home" today and then would be moving as soon as possible. Since I would be renting a furnished apartment—that was the story, anyway—the only things I would need to pack were Lizzie's things, my clothes, computer, and a few other odds and ends.

The morning after plans were made, Rose and Alice had gone to Wisconsin with Esme to buy the house and get it ready for our arrival. They would be gone for a week, and I was planning to spend most of my time with Charlie and Sue. Their house would be packed full when we visited, I knew, since not only would Edward go over with me every time, but Emmett and Jasper were insisting they go, as well. Charlie seemed very interested in speaking further with Carlisle—my dad was very interested about Carlisle's history in particular—so with Jake, Seth, Quil, and Embry wanting to spend some time with Lizzie and me before we moved, I knew the house was just going to be wall-to-wall bodies. Luckily, my shield would be in place for when Sue was home or when Emily stopped by, which she'd assured Jake she was going to do at least once. Edward had promised that the smell of all the wolves would help mask the scent of the humans as well.

It was Thursday, and I was supposed to call Charlie and let him know I was home later that afternoon. I needed to hunt, but since I had Lizzie with me, I wasn't sure what to do with her. I was still trying to figure it out when Edward's voice reached me.

"Dammit, Emmett," he growled, shoving his brother through the doorway. "I liked this shirt."

I had to laugh when Edward followed behind him, holding his dirty and ruined shirt in his hands, the fabric in tatters. He smiled at me and then ran up the stairs silently, leaving me with his brothers.

"What in the world?" I asked, giggling quietly so as not to disturb the baby in my arms—she was currently drinking her formula, which had smelled foul even before my change.

Jasper, who'd come in behind Edward, rolled his eyes. "Emmett got a little...exuberant while wrestling."

"I can't help it!" Emmett exclaimed loudly. "Been a fucking long time since Eddie felt like having fun."

Lizzie, who'd been startled by Emmett's outburst, let the bottle slip from her pursed lips and began to wail.

Piercing him with a glare, I patted Lizzie's diapered bottom gently and hissed, "Watch your language, and keep your voice down."

Emmett immediately looked chastised, holding his hands up, palms out in surrender. "Sorry, Bells. I wasn't thinking."

"Damn right," I huffed, unable to stop a hint of a smile from curling up the corner of my mouth. Looking back down at my daughter, I sighed. "I need to hunt."

"Here, love," Edward said as he walked back into the room, tugging a new sweater over his head. He'd put a dark blue, long-sleeved T-shirt on first, contrasting nicely with the cream-colored sweater that looked so soft and fuzzy. "Let me have her. I'll finish feeding her and watch her while these dolts take you out."

With a grateful smile, I transferred the baby, blanket padding and all, to his waiting arms. Handing him the bottle, I kissed his lips once, murmuring, "Thank you," before brushing a soft kiss on top of Lizzie's head and turning to Emmett and Jasper. "Come on, you two. You can show me your favorite places to catch some deer."

Before crossing the threshold, I looked back to see Edward rocking gently back and forth on the balls of his feet, coaxing Lizzie gently with quiet words and soothing tones to finish her bottle. Smiling, I left the house, closing the door behind me.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Edward's POV**

Bella left the house with my brothers, and I cradled Lizzie to my chest gently as the baby sucked greedily at the nipple I'd slipped into her mouth. She was protected from most of the coldness of my skin by the two layers of clothing I wore, but the blanket Bella had given me was also keeping her warm and safe against my hard body. I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing—the only practice I'd ever had was in my head as I saw other people and from watching Bella with her—but Lizzie seemed to like the gentle sway of my body, so I rocked her in my arms as I walked.

And hummed... A melody began to take shape in my head, soft, gentle, flowing as quick as her thrumming heartbeat, as delicate as her soft skin. As I composed the melody aloud, I continued to gaze at the wonder I held.

She was an adorable baby. She had her tiny fingers wrapped around one of my own, and as she ate, she kept her focus up at me, her eyes lighting up every time I made a silly face. When I laughed at her reaction, she grinned and laughed, nearly choking on the formula she was eating.

When she finished the bottle, I raised her to my shoulder, patting her gently—always aware of my strength—until she released a small gas bubble above and below.

"Whew, Lizzie," I said, grinning as she laughed a sweet baby laugh.

I moved to the floor near the diaper bag, continuing to coo at her and revel in the way she didn't want to release my finger. Slipping it out of her grasp, I set about changing what I could smell already was a full diaper.

_Damn, that's nasty,_ I thought, quickly cutting off my breathing as I cleaned her up and changed her into a new outfit that hadn't gotten soaked through. Through it all, I was amazed that she never once flinched at the temperature of my skin. Like mother, like daughter, I supposed.

Leaving Lizzie on the floor in the living room, I ran out to the small garbage can we'd put out beside the house. We could still smell it from inside, but it wasn't as overpowering. One of us would run it to the dump later.

I was back inside to the baby within seconds. Strapping on the infant carrier Charlie had dropped off with the other things Bella would need, I lined it with a blanket to ward off any extra chill and then carefully scooped Lizzie up, buckling her in so she was secure to my chest but my hands were free.

By this point, she was beginning to whimper unhappily. Unsure of what else to do, I moved to the piano and sat down. Bella had told me she'd been playing her lullaby for Lizzie since before she was born, so I hoped that a live performance would calm her much like the recorded version.

"Shh, Lizzie girl," I murmured, bending to brush a soft kiss to the top of her head.

With light fingers, I began to play.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Bella's POV**

As soon as I closed the door quietly behind me, I was tackled by a huge, speeding locomotive—or what felt like one, anyway. Even though I was a newborn, Emmett had taken me by surprise because my attention was still focused on Edward and Lizzie, and he still had tremendous strength and speed.

His hit knocked the two of us all the way to the edge of the yard, where we slid into the forest, gouging a rut into the dirt and forest floor before toppling over a small fir tree. Laughing, Emmett jumped up, brushed himself off, and then offered me a hand.

"Laugh it up, bear boy," I told him teasingly, picking some of the leaves and clods of dirt out of my hair. "That's the only time you'll beat me for a year." My tone and words were cocky, I knew, but hopefully, my newborn strength would back up my statement.

"Aww, c'mon, Bells," he whined, holding his hands up. "You know I was playin'!"

Jasper strolled up, grinning, and shook his head. "Face it, Em. You know she's right." He turned to me. "You okay there, Bella? Got a little smudge..." He reached over and brushed at a large clump of dirt and grass on my shoulder that I'd missed while swiping at my clothes.

I laughed. "I'm fine, Jasper. Now, I thought you boys were gonna show me where to hunt?"

If Emmett could look any more excited, he'd have looked like a ten-year-old boy that was going to meet his favorite comic book hero come to life. His grin was so huge, I couldn't help but smile.

Then his smile turned into a frown. "So apparently I don't get to teach you about hunting bears, huh?" he asked, sounding almost wounded.

Laughing again, I said, "Well, I don't think Seth or even Edward knows as much about hunting bears as you do, Em, so I think we're good."

His grin returned, and he actually clapped his hands in excitement, reminding me of Alice when she got her way with something she was really wanting. "Okay, good. Well, in case you don't know..."

I half-tuned him out as the three of us started walking deeper into the trees. He explained that the bears in the area were the American black bear, that most males would weigh around three hundred pounds at this time of year, and that some would have cubs already—quickly going on to explain that they avoid separating a mother from her young, whether it be bear, deer, or anything else they might want to have for dinner.

"Most are just now coming out of hibernation," he continued, "so they can be quite cranky."

I giggled at his gleeful expression. "Got it. No hunting mothers or babies. Try to find ones that are itching for a fight."

Emmett nodded. "Are you ready?"

Looking at Jasper, who just smiled and rolled his eyes, I turned back to Emmett and grinned. "Show me how it's done."

Watching Emmett hunt one of the large black bears was definitely an experience. The phrase "playing with your food" had never been more apropos. There really was no other way to describe it.

"Come on, take a swipe," he growled at the bear, dodging a big claw as the bear did just that.

Jasper and I were far enough away so as not to disturb or distract Emmett's prey, but close enough to see the action through the trees. We were in silent hysterics as Emmett caught the bear's paw at the next swipe, rolling with it through the dirt.

The moment he'd apparently decided he'd had enough playing and grasped the bear's neck, snapping it and sinking his teeth in, I smelled some deer just to the north.

Without looking at Jasper, I took off. Remembering Edward's advice, after zeroing in on the small herd, I swooped in from the side silently, catching them by surprise. I took down one of the largest bucks, absently noting Jasper on the other side of the herd with his own.

When I finished, I dropped the deer and stood, swiping at a few drops on my chin. It wasn't nearly as good as the bears I'd had, but it would do.

I was still standing there when Emmett came running up.

"Nice, Bells!" he said, looking at my still-clean T-shirt. "Took me a while to be able to do it without getting it all over myself." He laughed. "Rosie hates it when I come home like this"—he waved at his own shirt, which had clearly gotten caught by one of the bear's swipes—"but I just tell her 'at least I'm clean!'"

Laughing, I shook my head and then leaned down to pick up the body. Emmett beat me to it, hauling it over his shoulder to where Jasper had a spot ready for our kills. Once the bodies were taken care of, we started off for the house.

We were quiet as we walked, but apparently, Emmett had more to say. "You know," he started, more serious than I'd heard him in a while, "none of us truly wanted to leave. We all thought Edward was wrong for leaving, but none of us knew what he'd told you until later. I'm sorry we weren't here."

I was shaking my head before he'd even finished. "I know, Em, really. I was hurt for a long time, but in the grand scheme of things, it's something I just had to get over."

Jasper cleared his throat before he, too, joined the conversation. "Bella, I never did really get a chance to apologize for what happened on your birthday." He stopped abruptly, forcing us to stop, as well. "I know that's really what prompted Edward to leave, and I know it'll be hard—if not impossible—but I hope with time, it's something you can forgive."

I'd had no idea he was still feeling guilty about jumping at me the way he had after the paper cut incident on my eighteenth birthday, but I knew he had no reason to. I walked up to him, forcing him to look at me so he would understand what I was about to tell him.

"There's nothing to forgive, Jasper," I said honestly. When he started to protest, I held up a hand to stop him. "Let me ask you a question..."

He nodded. "Go on."

"Before I cut my finger, what were the emotions in the room?"

Raising an eyebrow, he answered, "Embarrassment from you, excitement from Alice and Esme, worry and apprehension from Edward."

"And you and Rose?" I prompted.

"I was nervous, and Rose was..."

I chuckled. "Angry?" I guessed, grinning when he nodded. Rose and I had already made our peace with one another, so it was no surprise. "Okay, now, what were the emotions _after_ I cut my finger?"

Without any extra time to think, he immediately said, "Fear and hunger—bloodlust."

Nodding slowly, I said, "And who felt every single bit of all of those emotions—including the bloodlust—from not only himself, but every other vampire in the room?"

Jasper took a step back before thrusting a hand through his curly mop of hair, looking up at me with understanding. "None of us have ever thought of it that way—that I was feeling my own in addition to everyone else's. I wonder if that affected..." He shook his head, as if he were having trouble wrapping his mind around it.

"It had to have played a part, don't you think?" I asked, looking between him and Emmett, who'd been silent while Jasper and I spoke.

Emmett nodded. "She's right, man," he said, looking at his brother. "Take what you were feeling and add in all of ours? It's no wonder you jumped."

Jasper still looked shell-shocked, for lack of a better description, so I wrapped one arm through his and said, "Come on. Let's go home. You'll feel better if you talk to Ali."

He gave me a grateful smile, and together, we continued the journey back through the trees to the house.

When we got to the edge of the woods, he said, "I'm gonna stay out here and call Alice. I'll be inside in a bit." Kissing my forehead, he said, "Thanks, Bells."

I smiled and waved him off, letting him know it wasn't a big deal.

When I turned back to Emmett, I had to hold in a laugh. "What put that look on your face?"

His nose was scrunched, as if he'd smelled something truly awful. If a vampire could look green with nausea, Emmett would've been the color of pea soup.

"What in the hell is that smell?" He gagged a little, making me giggle.

I took a deep breath in and realized he was smelling a fresh dirty diaper. Edward must've changed Lizzie and put the diaper outside recently.

Pointing to the trash can I could see just around the corner of the house, I said, "Diapers."

"Oh, man, that's rank!" Emmett groaned. "I'm gonna go take care of that now. I can't be smelling that for hours."

I snickered and told him where to take it before opening the door to the house. Walking quietly through the kitchen, I stopped in the doorway to the living room in time to see the most adorable sight.

Edward had a quietly fussing Lizzie in the baby carrier strapped to his chest, and he was just sitting down at the piano.

He hushed her and leaned down to gently kiss the top of her head. Then he closed his eyes and put his fingers on the keys, and I heard the first notes of my lullaby as he began to play.


	31. Chapter 31

**Bella's POV**

My heart, even though no longer beating, felt like it jump-started in my chest as I watched Edward—the man who'd turned my world upside down—hold my tiny baby girl to his chest, playing quietly to lull her to sleep. He had to know I was there, watching, but his attention was all on my daughter. If she whimpered or made any of the other normal baby noises, he soothed her with a murmur or soft caress to her cheek before turning back to the piano.

When the final notes of my lullaby began to fade away, he transitioned smoothly into something I hadn't heard before. After only a moment, I knew it was one of his. My heart couldn't take any more, and without conscious thought, my feet led me directly to him. I sat down beside him on the bench, leaning my head gently on his shoulder and brushing a finger over Lizzie's head as she finally closed her eyes and succumbed to sleep.

"This is beautiful," I said quietly, turning my gaze to his face. My breath caught when I realized he was watching me.

"It came to me when you put her in my arms," Edward said, his voice low so as not to disturb her. "It's Lizzie's song."

My heart swelled with love, and I sighed softly. "We're gonna be okay, aren't we?" I asked, not feeling any of the worry I'd felt, even after the decisions the day before. Seeing Edward with Lizzie was better than I'd ever dreamed. The love I felt whenever he looked at me radiated from him every time his eyes dropped to the baby strapped to his front. I knew no matter what we faced, he was right, we would face it together, and because of that, we would be all right.

Edward leaned over, his hands still moving lightly over the keys in front of him, and kissed me tenderly in answer.

~*~FC~*~

"Yes, Renee, Bella got home earlier today," Charlie said, running a hand through his hair, which was badly in need of a trim.

"_Where was she?"_ my mother asked, her voice sounding tinny.

Edward and I were sitting with Lizzie on the couch, watching my father pace. This was the third phone call he'd had since we'd arrived. He'd had to leave a message for Renee, since she was apparently on a cruise to Mexico that she and Phil had decided to take at the last minute after he'd gotten a week off from traveling for baseball. Jasper and Emmett had brought over the Xbox and hooked it up to Charlie's TV, and they were currently engaged in a heated, yet quiet, battle of something or other with Seth. Sue wasn't home yet from helping out at the school on the rez, but she was due home later and was planning on bringing Emily with her. Jake would be here anytime as well, and then he and Seth would take Emily home with them when they returned to the reservation in time for their patrol.

I turned my attention back to the phone when Charlie started explaining my absence.

"Unbeknownst to me, Bella applied and was accepted to the University of Wisconsin. She went up there to look around the campus and find out about housing and child care when she decided she needed a few more days away," he said, not stumbling once over the story we'd concocted.

"_Why didn't she say something before?"_

Charlie huffed, running his hand through his hair again. "She said she didn't want me—us—to be disappointed if it didn't work out, so she kept her trip a secret. Apparently, she'd been in contact with Edward and Alice Cullen, who—"

"_Oh!"_ Renee interrupted. _"How are they?"_

Charlie ignored her question and continued, "—are also going to school there. They apparently spent some time together while she was up there and caught up on everything. Anyway, the whole family lives there, and now that Edward and Bella have...reconciled, Bella's going to move up early so she can get settled in and spend some time with them before finding a job and taking some classes this summer, instead of waiting until September."

"_That's great,"_ Renee said enthusiastically, before I heard a rustling, like she'd placed her hand over the phone. With my newly heightened hearing, I heard her speaking to Phil as clear as if she was right in front of me. _"I'm almost done, honey. Charlie's taking forever to tell me that Bella's home, safe and sound."_ When she came back on the phone, she asked, _"Is that everything?"_

Charlie shook his head in exasperation and said, "Yes, Renee. If you want to speak to Bella before she and Lizzie move, just call back the next time you're on dry land."

Renee sucked in a quick breath. _"Bella's not leaving...her...there with you? Do Edward and his family know?"_

Emmett and Jasper whipped around to glare at the phone, their anger showing in their faces and in their grips on the controllers, which cracked under the strain. Edward was half out of his seat when I grabbed his arm and pulled him back down beside me.

"That's just Renee," I said just loud and quick enough for supernatural ears, shaking my head. "She doesn't mean it like it sounds. Just let it go."

"Bella," Edward said, nearly shaking with anger.

"Don't," I huffed, looking from him to his brothers. "I know. But let Charlie handle it, okay?"

With tight nods, they all stayed where they were.

Charlie had frozen in place, his grip on the phone almost as tight as the boys' had been on the game controllers. "Renee Martha Dwyer," he barked. "You know as well as I do that _Lizzie"_—stressing her nickname—"is our daughter's child, and that's the only thing that matters. If anything else mattered to Edward, I'd be the first one to tell him to get the hell away from my daughter. He loves Bella. How Lizzie came to be doesn't make a difference in his feelings...as it shouldn't for anyone," he growled softly in warning.

Edward settled down beside me, and the way he, Emmett, and Jasper were looking at Charlie nearly made me giggle. They definitely seemed impressed with the way Charlie had handled her. Seth and I just looked at each other and shrugged. It wasn't the first time we'd heard a similar conversation regarding my future.

"_No, of course not,"_ Renee said finally, sounding tired and apologetic, but sincere. _"Well, that's good. I hope she's happy in Minnesota. I've gotta run. Phil and I are going to see a show in a few minutes. Tell Bella hello!"_ She hung up before Charlie could get a word in edgewise.

Even after Charlie hung up the phone, I could feel Edward's tension. Emmett and Jasper still looked like they were ready for a fight. I knew I needed to say something to calm everyone.

"She didn't mean to come across as a bi—" I stopped before I could complete the nasty word. "Like I said the other day, Renee feels guilty about what happened to me on spring break. I was in Florida, so she feels like she should've done more to protect me."

Charlie grumbled, "As she should," under his breath before fixing his stare on me, as if daring me to disagree.

With a sigh, I continued, "Rather than bring it all up again, she just doesn't mention Lizzie or anything to do with that time. She also knows some of the reactions I got from people when everything came to light. There were people who blamed me, which I could handle, since I knew I hadn't done anything wrong. But then there were the people who I thought were friends who just suddenly quit calling or coming around—most of those believed I'd either made it up to get attention or so I didn't have to admit to sleeping around. Other nasty things were said about me and about Lizzie, and Renee just...couldn't handle it. She doesn't like being reminded of what she believes to be a failing on her part—that she didn't protect me when she should have."

Everyone was quiet as they processed what I'd said. When Lizzie began to stir, it broke the silence in the room, taking most of the tension with it.

"Minnesota?" Edward asked, looking at Charlie curiously.

Charlie just rolled his eyes. "The woman hears what she wants to hear. Always has." He settled into his recliner and smiled. "Now, enough talk of Renee. Give me my girl," he said, holding his arms out in my direction for Lizzie.

~*~FC~*~

"Take that!" I crowed as I knocked Emmett's character off the screen with a karate move, laughing as he shoved at my shoulder.

Emmett, Jake, and I were at Charlie's house with Lizzie. Edward and Jasper had gone hunting, and Charlie was at work. Sue was home, since she hadn't been needed at the school, but she was in the kitchen, fixing dinner for herself, Charlie, and any of the wolves who stopped by.

When we heard a car pull up to the house, Emmett casually reached over and put his hand on my shoulder, looking over at Jake. "See who that is?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and tilting his head to the front window.

Jake glanced at me and then nodded. When he peeked out the curtains, he drew back quickly. "It's Angela. Get Bella upstairs."

Emmett was suddenly all business as he tossed his controller toward the television, grabbing mine from me and adding it to the pile with his before standing and pulling me to my feet. "Come on, Bells. Don't wanna eat the human."

I rolled my eyes, clearly not amused, but let him shove me gently toward the stairs. "Lizzie?" I asked, looking back at the swing my daughter was currently sleeping in.

"Jake'll take care of her," Emmett assured me.

With a frustrated nod, I raced silently up the stairs, avoiding the fourth from the top—the one that always squeaked, no matter how you stepped on it.

Quietly, Emmett shut my door, standing guard in front of it, while I flopped down on my bed, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. Sighing, I leaned my head down, resting it on my knees as I waited.

We heard Jake just before he opened my door, slipping in and closing it quietly behind him. He came to sit down beside me, pulling me against his side as Emmett resumed sentry duty in front of the door.

"Sue's keeping an eye on Lizzie," he explained, and then we were still as we listened.

As Angela got out of the car, she was quiet. When she made it to the door, she knocked gently.

Sue's sneakers squeaked on the floor as she walked from the kitchen to the living room to answer the knock. When she opened the door, it creaked, seeming to echo in the stillness of my room.

"Hello, Angela," Sue said, sounding friendly, but not inviting.

"Hi, Mrs. Swan," Angela said quietly. "Is Bella here? I just got into town, and my mom said Bella had been missing, but she was back now?"

Her heart was fluttering nervously, and I really wished Edward were here to tell me what she was thinking.

Sue sighed, and after a moment, she stood aside. "Come in out of the rain, sweetie."

"Thanks," Angela said gratefully.

There was some shuffling and squeaking as her wet shoes came into contact with the floor.

"Bella's out right now, I'm sorry. As for her being missing... It was all a misunderstanding between Bella and her dad," Sue explained. She told Angela the story Charlie had been giving out, ending with the news that I would be leaving the next day for Wisconsin.

"Wow," Angela said, her heart finally beating normally as she exhaled a shaky breath. "I'm glad she wasn't really missing. She's been through enough."

Lizzie let out a cry then, and I heard Angela's feet moving across the floor. "Ohh, look how big she is!" Angela had visited shortly after I'd had Lizzie, but she hadn't seen her since. When Lizzie began crying in earnest, I heard Angela ask Sue, "May I?"

Sue must have nodded, because I didn't hear an answer, but then there were a few clicks as Angela released the buckles holding Lizzie in place" and her voice softened as she spoke to my daughter.

"Hush, sweetheart," Angela cooed. "You're all right."

Lizzie's cries quieted, and Sue said, "Here, I'll take her. She probably needs to be changed and fed."

"Will you have Bella call me? I'd like to see her before she goes, if she has time."

Sue's voice sounded sad to my ears as she answered, "I'll tell her you stopped by."

"Thanks," Angela replied before the front door shut, leaving the house quiet once more.

Jake held me as venomous tears stung my eyes.

~*~FC~*~

The rest of the week passed quickly. There were a few tense moments, but Angela's unexpected visit had been the worst. It had hit me hard that she was another person I was not only leaving behind, but who I couldn't see anymore, even just to say goodbye. I'd cried on Jake's shoulder for a few minutes, until Lizzie's cry broke through and grabbed my attention. When Edward and Jasper had gotten home a few hours later, I'd decided that no matter how much it hurt, I wasn't going to call her. I knew I'd have had a hard time coming up with an excuse as to why I couldn't see her before I left, so Sue had said if Angela asked at some later point in time, she would apologize and say she'd forgotten to tell me about Angela's visit. It wasn't an easy thing, leaving Angela and my other friends, but I knew that was the way it had to be.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked quietly, looking up from the book he was reading.

Charlie and Sue were sleeping, Emmett and Jasper were playing video games with the volume down low, and I'd been reading along with Edward until Lizzie woke up, needing a bottle.

I turned my head to look at him, raising an eyebrow in question.

"You sighed," he explained, frowning.

"Oh..." I hadn't even realized. "Sorry. I was just thinking of Angela."

He pulled me onto his lap, careful not to jostle the baby, who was almost finished with her middle of the night snack. Knowing I didn't want to talk about it again, he just held me, his fingers brushing lightly across the skin of my stomach where his arm was wrapped around me.

I couldn't control my shiver at his touch. It'd been almost a week since we'd had any good quality time alone. One of us was almost always with Lizzie. It wasn't that I didn't trust the others with her—far from it, in fact. But I was still coming down from the huge fear and worry I'd had about having to leave her, and Edward had clearly fallen in love with her. He was already her father. I think he trusted his brothers with her less than I did. It was a sight to behold.

"I can smell you, love," he murmured so softly in my ear, even Emmett and Jasper didn't hear him—or if they did, they gave no _outward_ indication.

I felt another shiver rack my frame, the low, sexy tenor of his voice going straight from my ear to my clit, making it throb. Squeezing my legs together did nothing to alleviate the pressure I was feeling below. All it did was move me just enough that Edward's erection pressed against my ass in the most delicious of ways.

"Guys," Jasper grumbled without looking back at us.

I couldn't help but laugh at his exasperated tone. "Sorry, Jasper," I said with a grin, shaking my head at Edward's silent laughter behind me. "Blame him."

"I'm not a bit sorry," Edward said, brushing aside my hair to place a suckling kiss to the spot right under my ear that seemed extra sensitive—or maybe it was just that my whole body was thrumming. He did dial it back a notch, though, keeping to light touches and kisses as I finished feeding Lizzie.

Once she was finished eating, I laid her down in the bassinet beside the couch, moving back to Edward's lap.

For a few minutes, everything was quiet as the guys played their game and Edward and I just sat with one another, hands ghosting over skin, soft kisses exchanged. But when I shifted a bit, I came in contact with his still-hard erection, making us both draw in a quick breath of air. On the next sweep down my arm, Edward laced our fingers together, tangling and massaging. I moved our hands to my thigh and then pulled my hand away, arching back to tangle my hand in his hair, pulling his lips to mine. He took the hint and began to rub up and down the length of my leg, from my knee to my hip and back again, slowly moving farther and farther to the inside, until his fingers brushed the seam between my legs, making me bite my lip to hold in my moan.

Edward let out his own soft moan when I nipped at his lower lip, laving it with my tongue, and then moved my outer leg over so the next pass up, his hand cupped me through my jeans.

The noise I made surprised even me.

Jasper groaned again. "Dude, so not cool," he said, his face in his hands.

I could only imagine the amount of lust Edward and I were putting out to make him that overwhelmed.

Still, I was surprised when Edward suddenly moved me to my feet, grabbed my hand, and dragged me to the stairs.

"Watch Lizzie," I squeaked out, giggling quietly as I was pulled up the stairs and the door shut firmly, but silently, behind us.


	32. Chapter 32

**Bella's POV**

Edward was all heat—from his hand to the look in his eyes—as he led me over to the bed, falling down onto his back and pulling me with him so I was spread over him, our bodies flush against one another. Even through both layers of clothes, I could feel the warm steel of his erection as it pressed against me intimately.

Before I could blink, Edward had flipped us over, settling into the cradle of my hips.

"Edward!" I breathed as he rocked against me.

Clawing at his back, I drew him down until his lips hovered over mine. His warm breath washed over me, sending another shiver down my spine.

"Kiss me," I begged, writhing under him.

His eyes flashed, and he dipped his head, brushing his lips against mine. "I told you, love," he growled softly, "you never have to beg again. I'll take care of you, sweet girl, I promise."

I was instantly lost in the power emanating from him, not just the weight of him pressing against every inch of me, but the shift in his demeanor. He was fierce, with blackening eyes and a firm grip in my hair.

Lips swept across my own before my mouth was completely claimed. I moaned softly, giving him the opening he needed. Our tongues swirled together as his hand skimmed my side, dipping into the curve of my waist, over my hip, until he reached the back of my thigh, where he hitched my leg up and around him.

It was everything our kisses when I was human weren't. It was deep, filled with low moans and rumbling, feral purrs. It was grinding hips, suckling lips, and teasing nips of very dangerous teeth. It was like magic—hot and wet, leaving my head fuzzy and my breathing heavy. My hips jerked as he pressed against me intimately again, his light thrust just hard enough to rub against my lower lips through my jeans.

With a groan, he suddenly pulled away. "Fuck," he hissed, running a hand through his hair as he sat back on his heels. When I tried reaching for him, he shook his head and then stood, holding out his hand.

"Edward?" I took it automatically and stood, but he just shook his head again in response and led me to the window.

"Out," he growled low, his voice making my insides clench again.

Once he was on the ground beside me, he swept me up, my legs automatically wrapping around his waist. His lips were on mine again for a moment before he pulled away with a growl.

"Too many people," he explained, resting his forehead against mine.

I suddenly understood. He needed what I needed—more than just what he could give me in a house full of people that included my father. I slowly slid down to my feet, my nerves singing as I felt every ridge and dip on his body, the muscles in his arms as he held me close.

Taking a step back, I looked at the man barely in control in front of me. He was pale and shimmering just slightly under the light of the moon. He looked dangerous, powerful, and way too sexy for his own good.

I felt moisture coat the inside of my thighs.

His nostrils flared as he caught the scent of my arousal once more.

"Take me," I growled softly, needing something...anything.

"Where?" It came out harshly, like he was having to hold himself back.

The tone once again went straight to my clit, nearly ripping an orgasm from me with just that one word.

_Anywhere._

I didn't answer him aloud, but he must have known, because he swept me up in his arms again, taking off in a run for the woods behind Charlie's house.

As he ran, I couldn't stop from attaching my lips to his neck in warm, suckling kisses. My tongue came out and swirled around his Adam's apple. My teeth were leaving stinging bites to the skin. Running came second nature to vampires, but Edward was breathing heavily and kept stumbling, and the curses falling from his lips were either begging for more or begging for mercy—I wasn't sure which.

We crashed through the trees, leaves damp from the last rain slapping against us, branches tearing at our clothes, until finally...finally, Edward stopped, looking around for a moment, before his eyes settled on something over my shoulder. He hitched me up, my legs wrapping around his waist once more. After a few steps forward, I gasped when I was pressed tightly between the solid feel of Edward's body and the rough tree at my back.

When he thrust his hips, I cried out as he rubbed me just the right way again. His hands gripped my hair as pulled my head back, attaching himself to my neck. I felt him paying me back for our run to the woods, his mouth punishing the skin of my throat in biting, erotic kisses.

Gripping the back of his shirt, I tried pulling it up and over his head, but he growled and stayed firmly planted on my neck. Desperately needing to feel his skin, I grasped the fragile fabric and pulled, ripping it in half. It fell in tatters down his arms between us, and without moving anything else, he shrugged it off until it pooled at our feet.

"My turn," he growled against my skin.

Holding me up with his strong thighs, his hands gripped my T-shirt at the V-neck and tugged. It split in two under his fingers, like butter under a warm knife. My bra was no match for Edward's desire, falling to our feet with our shirts.

His head dipped, placing kisses down my sternum, and I gasped when I felt him close his lips around my nipple. He was no more gentle with the peaks of my breasts than he was with my neck, but as I ground against his erection, I wanted nothing less.

"Edward!" I cried when his teeth scraped the sensitive tissue before he kissed his way to the other breast.

I needed more. I felt empty and knew the only thing that would fill me was him. Reaching between us, I curled my fingers around him, stroking him through his jeans. With my other hand, I tangled my fingers in his hair, dragging his mouth back up to mine.

"Edward," I pleaded when he growled at being taken away from my breast.

If possible, his eyes turned even darker. "What do you want, love? Do you want a kiss?"

I whimpered when he leaned forward and brushed my lips lightly with his.

"Or do you want me to touch you?" His voice was now a low purr as the hand not in my hair moving to cup me possessively below.

I couldn't speak. All I could do was nod, crying out as his thumb pressed even harder.

"Is that all?" He curled his fingers, ripping a hole right through the inner seam of my jeans, grinning darkly when I cried out as his fingers encountered slippery flesh instead of underwear.

"Oh, God," I whimpered, needing more. Always needing more.

"What, Isabella?" he said, his voice low and thick with desire. "Tell me what you want. What you need."

I could feel the bark of the tree at my back peeling off with every movement we made. I could hear the nocturnal animals scurrying around out in the dark. I could smell deer somewhere off in the near distance. But none of it truly registered as I looked at Edward. He'd never looked more like he wanted to devour me from head to toe.

"I need _you_," I said, my own voice husky as I squeezed my hand around him.

He began shaking his head immediately and then leaned in, placing a hard kiss on my lips before trailing up my jaw to my ear. He growled his next words as he slid two fingers inside me. "Do you want me to fuck you, Isabella? Do you want me to take you so hard against this poor, pitiful tree that it falls over, giving its life for our pleasure?"

I shattered against him, his thumb on my clit drawing out my orgasm as I gasped for unneeded breath.

Without giving me time to come back to earth, Edward lifted me with one hand, undid the button on his jeans, and then drew the zipper down. When he settled me once again on his thighs, he reached between us, gripped both sides of the hole he'd made in my jeans, and tugged, baring me and giving him room to slide his fingers in once more.

"More," I gasped, groaning when he withdrew his fingers.

Before I could ask again, Edward moved his arms under mine, curling them around to hold onto my shoulders, and then in one fast, hard thrust, he slid all the way inside me, until there was nowhere else for him to go.

I reached back to hold onto the poor tree as he pistoned his hips, moving so fast that I felt like he'd be a blur if I looked anyplace but his eyes. But those... I couldn't look away from the inky blackness. I felt paralyzed, unable to feel anything but what he was doing to my body and unable to see anything but him.

"Fuck!" I cried when he swiveled his hips, hitting just the right spot.

"Come, Isabella," Edward groaned, pressing his finger to my clit where our bodies were joined.

Just that command, in that voice, with his finger on that spot, sent me shooting over the edge once more. I threw myself at him until I was wrapped around him, his arms now braced on the tree at my back. As my insides clenched tight, I sank my teeth into his shoulder to muffle my scream.

With his own roar of satisfaction, Edward came, his thrusts faltering before slowing altogether.

We were still breathing hard as he lowered us to the ground, just before the tree fell with a soft whoosh behind me.

Edward and I burst out laughing, glancing over my shoulder.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Edward's POV**

"That poor tree," Bella said with a giggle.

I fought my smile, trying to remain somber. "But it was an honorable death..."

Shaking her head at our silliness—or my bad joke—she leaned forward and kissed me, murmuring, "That it was," against my lips.

After shedding our jeans, we were quiet for a few minutes, just relaxing on the dirt- and grass-covered ground beneath the trees. The stars were so bright, so beautiful. The air smelled fresh and crisp after the rain we'd had over the last twenty-four hours. My hand stroked lazily down Bella's side as she lay half on top of me. She looked happy, peaceful, and when she smiled up at me, it warmed me from the inside out.

"So we leave tomorrow, hmm?" she asked, tracing each dip on my abdomen, watching the muscles contract and relax under her touch.

I nodded, my breath ghosting over her hair, before I asked, "How do you feel about that?"

When she looked up, I knew she could see my pensive, worried expression.

"Is it where I thought my life was going? No," she said with a shake of her head. "Am I glad things worked out the way they did?" She shrugged, making me tense. "In that you're back, yes, absolutely. That my daughter is going to grow up with this huge secret, with danger always lurking? Not so much."

Dammit, I would never be able to apologize enough for what she'd been through and the life she was now cursed with. "Bella, I—"

Her lips covered mine for a moment, stopping my apology.

"Don't," she said, her voice firm. "I'm so far from unhappy right now, Edward. Really. I love you. Lizzie and I are both luckier because you and your family are in our lives. And since Charlie knows everything, I get to keep him in my life and in Lizzie's. So some things will be harder because of Lizzie being human in the world of the supernatural..." She shrugged again, her slender shoulder rising once. "Knowing me, she'd have run across a nomad at some point, and unless we were around the wolves, we'd be defenseless. As it is, she not only has me to protect her, but you and your family—our family—as well. She's a lucky little girl to be as loved as she already is and will always be. We both are."

I closed my eyes for a long moment, and when I opened them, the love I saw coming from the depths of hers, already a lightened maroon, echoed the way I felt every time I thought of her—every time I'd thought of her for the last two years.

My hand slid around to cup the back of her head, my fingers tangling in her hair to guide her to my lips. This time, the kiss was slow, sensual, and all-consuming. Her tongue stroked mine lazily, teasing and tasting, giving and receiving. Without a word, she gave a gentle push on my shoulder. I leaned back on my elbows, watching as my beautiful girl moved over me, her hand guiding me into her as she sank to her knees.

I watched as, leaning forward with her hands on my stomach, Bella rode me. There was nothing urgent about our lovemaking the second time around. The sight of Bella above me, her head thrown back in pleasure, her breasts—fuller now after her pregnancy—rising and falling with every movement, was nothing but perfection. She was so wet, I slid in and out of her easily, filling her with every thrust of my hips or press of her body over mine.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I sat up, pulling her to me. Our bodies were flush against one another as her legs wrapped around me. This position didn't give us much room to move, but as deep as I was inside her, we didn't need much. Bella whimpered as she continued moving over me, capturing my lips with hers again in a gentle kiss. We were one in every sense of the word.

I wanted to hold out longer—I ached for more of this simple, yet glorious act—but Bella's sexy, uninhibited enjoyment was quickly drawing my orgasm from deep inside me. Reaching between us, I circled her clit with a finger, spreading the wetness seeping out of both of us, and then rolled the little button between my thumb and forefinger, wanting to give her pleasure.

With a soft cry into my neck, Bella came hard around me, clenching me so tight that it drew my own orgasm from my body. I felt myself fill her, making her shiver above me as an aftershock hit her body.

That was where we were nearly thirty minutes later when Jasper's thoughts interrupted the quiet in my head.

_Sorry, bro._ He sounded apologetic, yet amused. _Alice called. She sent me home to get clothes for you both. I'll leave them here for you. Charlie was beginning to stir, so you'd better get your ass back to the house. I'm not sure I want to be the one to explain what you and his daughter were up to out here._

I couldn't help but chuckle, making Bella look up at me. At her raised eyebrow, I said, "Just Jasper."

Bella's head whipped around, her arms automatically moving to cover her chest.

Cupping her face in my hands, I asked seriously, "Do you really think I'd let Jasper—or anyone, for that matter—see us, love?"

"I guess not," she answered with a small grin, although her hands didn't move away from her breasts.

"Jasper just came close enough for me to hear his thoughts and to leave us some clothes Alice saw us needing," I explained. "He said Charlie's waking up."

Bella's shoulders slumped for a moment before she sighed. "Back to the real world, huh?" Then her eyes twinkled and her smile reappeared. "Guess there's no way to keep those idiots from teasing us?"

I grinned as she stood, holding out her hand. "I doubt it," I told her honestly.

"Okay, but I'll make them wish they'd never been born if they say anything to Charlie!"

We laughed together as we gathered up our ruined clothing and walked hand in hand toward the house, stopping to pull on the new clothes Jasper had set on a stump of another fallen tree.

"At least this one wasn't our fault," Bella said with a laugh.

I chuckled and then scooped her onto my back, making the rest of the walk to Charlie's with her clinging to my back like she'd done so many times before.


	33. Chapter 33

**Bella's POV**

A few hours after Charlie and Sue woke, Jake got the call from Billy that they would be at Charlie's house in five minutes.

"Remember, Bells," Emmett said, his tone serious, even as his eyes sparkled with mischief, "just hold your breath. Besides, they'll all stink like wolves, so even if you do get a whiff..."

Edward growled from beside me, clearly not amused, but I couldn't help the giggle. Yes, part of it was nerves that I was going to be surrounded by several more humans than I had been since my change, but Emmett was right. They would smell like the wolves. Besides, looking around the room, I was sure between Jake, Seth, Quil, Embry, Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and Edward—not to mention Sam and Leah, who were bringing Emily, Billy, and Jamie, Leah's imprint—they would be able to keep me from hurting anyone.

Sue was holding Lizzie—no one wanted either of them to be in the immediate way if something did go horribly wrong—when Sam's truck and Leah's little car pulled into Charlie's drive. The other cars, including Charlie's and Sue's, were out on the street, leaving room so Quil and Embry could unload Billy and his wheelchair directly onto the driveway, rather than having to worry about moving across the grass.

When the group all walked into the little house, the living room had never been more full of people. Quil and Embry came up first and gave me a hug. It was the first time I'd seen them since they'd come over to the Cullens' house.

"How ya doin', Bells?" Quil asked as he pulled away.

"I'm good," I said honestly. "Really good."

They both smiled, and Embry ruffled my hair as they moved back to stand with Seth on the other side of the room.

Jake and Billy were the next ones to come up to me as I stood between Emmett and Edward. I wasn't sure what to expect from Billy. I knew he hadn't wanted this for me—for Charlie, his oldest friend, or for my daughter—but he also knew I hadn't chosen to be a vampire at this point in time. What his reception would've been like if I'd been changed before Lizzie, I didn't know, but his smile now was warm and genuine.

"Bella," he said, holding out his hand. "You look good."

I let out just enough breath to say, "Thanks, Billy," patting his hand gently before releasing it and taking a step back.

He greeted the others with a nod before turning back to me. "Jake tells me you're doing well. That some sort of—" he waved his hands around "—shield, helps you?"

"Yes. It's partly what helps me be around my dad and Sue." I'd run out of air, so I took a tentative breath, feeling the burn, the strongest I'd ever felt it. It wasn't as overwhelming as I'd worried it would be, so I smiled. "And now you."

"Good, good." He looked up at Jake, who wheeled him across the room beside Sue and Lizzie.

The gorgeous, dark-haired Leah stepped up to me, her fingers tangled with the tiny little redhead to her left. Jamie was almost the opposite of Leah—where Leah seemed thin, but strong and sturdy, Jamie was more like Alice in stature. She was a tiny little thing, so it would be easy to think she was weak, but her strength showed in her eyes and the way she carried herself.

"Leah," I said, smiling at my stepsister before turning to her imprint. "And you must be Jamie."

"Hey, Bella," Leah said, looking so happy, yet so nervous. "Are...uh, are you okay right now?"

The smile slid from my face for a moment, and I snapped, "I'm fine. I hunted a few minutes ago, and I don't feel the need to eat your girlfriend."

"Bella," Edward murmured, his hand at my lower back.

Just that word made me realize that I was getting upset for no reason. Leah had every right to be concerned about bringing her human imprint into the house, within feet of a newly changed vampire. I couldn't take it personally.

Sighing, I shook my head once. "Sorry. Still not used to how easily I can lose my temper. I'm okay, really." Looking at Jamie, I smiled tentatively. "Sorry if I scared you. It's still somewhat overwhelming."

She grinned and nodded. "I get it. I'm still getting used to it myself. It's nice to meet you, Bella. I'm sorry it couldn't be under more...normal circumstances."

I snorted. "I'm not sure what normal is anymore. But still, I know what you mean. Me, too."

"So you guys are moving to Wisconsin?" Leah asked, stepping back a few steps and tugging Jamie with her.

"Yep." I nodded. "A bit northwest of Green Bay."

"Go Packers!" Jamie cheered, making us all laugh.

"Yes, you'll fit right in," I concluded, grinning at the vivacious young woman who'd turned her head into Leah's shoulder in embarrassment.

"All right, all right," Emily's voice said from behind them. "My turn."

Sam was slightly wary as he and his wife stepped through the crowd to stand in front of me.

"Oh my goodness!" I gushed. "Emily, you're huge!"

Everyone laughed as I hid my face in my hands.

"Sorry, I didn't mean that to be an insult, I swear," I told her, still not looking up.

I heard her move, but didn't think anything of it until her arms wrapped around me, her distended belly between us.

"It's so good to see that you're okay," she said, hugging me tightly.

Carefully, I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her a little harder than I'd learned to hold Lizzie. "Thanks, Em. Thanks for helping Sue and my dad, too," I murmured quietly, even though every non-human in the room could've heard me.

Reaching out, I raised an eyebrow questioningly. At her nod, even more carefully, I placed my hand on her stomach. It didn't take long for me to feel a kick under my palm. It was so strange to hear the extra thrumming heartbeat of the baby and just extremely cool to feel the baby's movements.

"That is so cool," I echoed my thoughts aloud, chuckling when the baby kicked again.

I released her, and Sam pulled her to his side once more. "Bella," he said, as serious as he always was.

"Sit, please," I said, motioning to Charlie's recliner. "No need to keep you on your feet."

We visited for twenty minutes before the scent finally started to become overwhelming. I gave Jake a look, and he went over and told his father it was time to go.

When Jake wheeled him over to me to say goodbye, Billy looked up at me. "Keep in touch with your old man, huh? He'll get grumpy if you don't, and a grumpy fishing buddy is no fun."

I laughed and nodded. "Will do."

Billy grinned at Charlie's snort behind me before turning serious once more, looking at Carlisle and then Edward. "Take care of Charlie's girls," he said seriously. Without waiting for a response, he wheeled himself around to move back with my dad.

Leah and Jamie gave me a wave and then followed Charlie and Jake as they took Billy out to the car.

Once Sam had helped Emily to her feet, she moved to me and pulled me in for another hug. "Take good care of your little one, and call if you ever need anything, okay?"

I looked pointedly at her swollen belly. "You, too," I teased, giving both her and Sam a grin. "Let us know as soon as that one's here."

Sam gave me a smile and a nod, and then he ushered Emily outside.

The spot in front of me was immediately filled with Quil and Embry.

"How are we gonna keep Jake in line with you gone?" Quil whined, laughing when Jake's rather rude reply could be heard from outside.

"I'm sure you'll manage," I teased. "Just threaten him with Emily. She'll be a new mom soon... She won't be in the mood to put up with much of his crap."

After big hugs from both, the two of them squeezing me tight, they waved to the rest of the room and then left the house, leaving me with my family.

~*~*FC~*~

"What's left, Bella?" Jasper asked thirty minutes later, walking back into the house with Emmett after loading almost everything into the vehicles.

I pointed to three boxes, Lizzie's playpen, and a few other odds and ends. "I don't need any of that stuff in the Mercedes with us."

Edward, Lizzie, and I were taking Carlisle's Mercedes instead of driving in mine. My car, while fairly new to me still, had been used when I bought it. I'd already spoken with Jake and had decided I was donating it to the pack for anyone who might need a vehicle for any reason. Since we were going to be in Carlisle's vehicle, he was going to drive Rose's BMW, and Jasper was riding with Emmett in his Jeep. Alice and the girls had driven her rental car back to the airport when they left a few days before. Edward had tried to convince me we should go ahead and get a car now, since he was without one, but after lots of discussion, I'd convinced him to just wait until we'd settled in to the new house. There was really no point in spending all that money on gas when we had plenty of vehicles to get us moved.

Emmett grinned, grabbing two of the boxes and leaving the rest to Jasper. I had no doubt they could've moved it all much faster and with more per trip to the car, but with all the eyes of the neighborhood on the activity in front of Charlie's house, the human facade was necessary from everyone involved.

"So this is it, huh, Bells?" Charlie said, stuffing his hands into his pockets and kicking at a non-existent spot on the hardwood floor.

I looked around the room at the people gathered around and felt a sadness drape over me like a heavy blanket. As much as I was ready for the move and as much as I was realizing that the Cullens were truly my family as much as they were Edward's, every other person in this room had been my family, celebrating every high and supporting me when I was at my lowest, for over two years. I knew I wasn't leaving to never see them again, but I was also realistic enough to know that things would never be the same. I would always have to sneak around if I came back to visit, and at some point, they would have to go along with the charade of me being dead and buried. It was a lot to take in.

Looking up into my dad's face, I smiled sadly. "Yeah, Dad, this is it."

"Go on, then. Tell everyone else goodbye, and then I want to speak to you one last time." Charlie waved me off, motioning to the rest of the room.

The moment I turned around, Seth swept me into his arms.

"You know, Bells, Leah's my sister by birth, but even before Mom and Charlie—" he smiled, his brown skin pinkening slightly "—you were my sister by choice. I love you, ya know?"

I tightened my arms slightly, feeling him grunt playfully. "Love you, too, Sethy. You gonna come visit us?"

He chuckled, brushing a kiss across my forehead. "Of course! Gotta come up and see how our Lizzie-bell is doing!"

"Good. You're welcome anytime. Make sure Quil and Embry know the invitation is extended to them, as well, okay?"

Seth nodded, grinning, and then moved back so Sue could step into his place.

"I'm gonna miss you," I said quickly, pulling her in carefully for a hug. I truly was. She'd been like a second mother for the last year and a half—in fact, she'd been more of a mother than my own mother had been.

I felt the warmth and smelled her tears as they spilled down her cheeks, dripping onto my shoulder as she held me in a tight hug.

"I'm going to miss you, too, Bella," she said, pulling back to look at me. "But somehow, I think you'll be okay." Grinning, she looked back at Edward, who was hovering protectively while still trying to give me the time I needed. "I don't think these guys would have it any other way."

I laughed, looking fondly at Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle, who were nodding fervently.

She gave me one last hug and then let me go, moving over to stand with her son and making room for Jake, who swooped in and grabbed me in a near-painful hug.

"This isn't goodbye," he grumbled. "You know I fully expect to hear from you as often as possible, right?" At my nod, he said, "As soon as you guys get settled, let me know, and some of us will make a trip up there. See the new homestead, that sort of thing."

"Sure, sure," I huffed, giving him a smile. "Jake, listen..." I sighed, knowing words weren't adequate, but not having any better way to tell him than to just say it. "Thank you. For saving me, for trusting me, for having my back. So many things—things for which I can never repay you. I'll always be grateful. Love you, Jakey," I finally said with a teasing grin, knowing that wasn't his favorite choice of nicknames.

Jake's eyes were suspiciously bright as he pulled me in for another hug, murmuring a quiet, "Sure, sure. Love you, too, Bells," before stepping back and rubbing a hand briskly over his face.

Suddenly, Edward appeared at my side. "Love, we're gonna go outside and wait. You and Charlie take all the time you need."

I nodded, but before he could leave, I pulled him back to me, cupped his face, and drew him down for a kiss. When he finally pulled away, I grinned.

Within minutes, the living room was empty, as everyone—including Sue and Lizzie—waited for Charlie and me to share as private a goodbye as we could get.

I turned back to the room and saw Charlie sit down on the couch and pat the seat beside him.

"Come sit, Bells," he said, smiling.

Once I was seated, he reached out and took one of my hands, sandwiching it between his warm ones.

Chuckling, he shook his head. "That's something I'm still getting used to," he said, rubbing my hand vigorously.

I grinned. "Give it time, Dad. You've only known a week."

His expression sobered, and he was quiet, looking somewhere in the distance over my shoulder. His eyes were glassy, as if he was having to hold back tears, and they held a wealth of emotion.

Rather than speak, I decided to just sit quietly and wait, knowing he'd talk when he was ready.

"I feel like I failed you as a father," he finally said with a huff, still not looking me in the eye.

Gasping in shock—that wasn't remotely close to what I'd thought he would say—I scooted closer, reaching out my other hand to place it on his and squeezing gently. "Dad, no," I said with a shake of my head. "You didn't."

He finally looked at me, his lips a thin line and jaw clenched. "I feel like it. If you hadn't moved here, things might've been different. I know you're happy now, but..." His voice trailed off, and he looked off into the distance again. "You were so broken when the Cullens left and then last year, and now you're..."

"A vampire," I finished softly for him.

Sighing, he nodded.

"Look at me, Dad," I said firmly, waiting until his eyes were on me once more. "All of that? So not your fault. Yes, I fell apart when Edward and his family left, but my relationship with him now is so much stronger than it was before. I wasn't ready for forever then. I know that now. I thought I was—I'd been more responsible than I had to be for a long time, so I thought that meant I was older than my years—but I wasn't. I still wore...rose-colored glasses, I guess you could say. As for what happened last year... Well, I look at it two ways. One, I wouldn't have Lizzie if it weren't for that. I didn't think I wanted kids—and if I hadn't had her, I'd have been happy with my life, sure, but now, I can't imagine my life without her. Two, if I hadn't moved here to Forks with you, I'd have been with Renee in Florida. Who says I wouldn't have met...him...then anyway?

"I wouldn't trade anything for the time I've had with you. You've loved me, taken care of me, and tried your hardest to make me happy and keep me safe. If I can do that half as well with Lizzie as you did for me, I'll consider it a success," I finished, hoping he'd understand that I truly meant every word. Charlie had been my rock, and rather than feeling like I had to parent him like I had with Renee, I'd finally felt like I had a chance to just be me. Be Bella, the teenage girl.

"You and Lizzie," he started, shaking his head once. "You're my everything, Isabella. I love Sue, but it's a whole different ball game when it's my daughter and granddaughter. Don't forget about us out here on the west coast, okay?"

I laughed then, rolling my eyes. "As if I could ever do that," I scoffed. "Besides, who else will we get to teach Lizzie to fish? We'd get out there with her, and all the fish would swim away!"

With that, the tension was broken, and he tugged my hand, pulling me into his embrace.

"Love, you, Bells," he said quickly, his voice muffled through the fabric of my shirt.

Patting his back lightly, I said, "Love you, too, Dad."

After a moment more, he pulled away and stood. "Now, let's get you on the road. It's a long drive."


	34. Chapter 34

**Bella's POV**

I'd been staring out the car window for hours, watching the scenery pass by, when Edward's voice startled me out of my daydream-like state.

"Bella?"

Looking over at the man behind the wheel, I saw that he had his hand out, palm up. I reached over and slid my hand into his, feeling warmth spread over me when he smiled and pulled our hands to rest on his thigh.

"Are you all right, love?" he asked, looking at me once more before turning his head back to the road stretching out in front of us.

"I'm okay. Just thinking of all the goodbyes," I explained quietly.

Edward gave my hand a squeeze as my head turned back to the window and my thoughts drifted once more.

~*~FC~*~

"_Got everything?" Charlie asked, patting the top of Carlisle's Mercedes gently._

_I smiled, nodding. "That's it. Just us and Lizzie," I said, glancing at the baby, who was wide awake and watching the commotion around us as best she could._

_He reached for her, and with a cooing gurgle, she went to him willingly. "You be good for your momma," he said sternly, but with a soft grin in place._

_When he bent his head down to press a kiss to her forehead, her little hands flailed, grabbing ahold of his mustache, which was still the same dark it had always been, with the addition of a few gray strands sprinkled throughout._

_Charlie quickly removed her fingers, smoothing down the prickly hairs, and grinned at her. "Yes, you've got quite the grip, don't you, Lizzie girl?"_

_With one last kiss, he handed her over to Sue and then turned to me. "Be safe, Bells," he said, his voice rough as he pulled me in for a quick hug._

_I nodded, blinking hard to try to force away the feeling that I needed to cry._

_We made the rounds, getting hugs from everyone. I watched Edward and my father share a moment away from the group, and Edward's firm tone of voice and honest words when he promised to protect us with his life had me nearly bolting for fear of letting out the emotion I was suddenly overcome with._

_A wave of calm washed over me, and I took a deep breath, feeling my tense muscles relax. Looking over at Jasper, I smiled, tilting my head in acknowledgment and thanks. He smiled before climbing into the Jeep's passenger seat beside Emmett._

_After one last hug to Sue, Charlie, Seth, and Jacob, I buckled Lizzie—who was quickly winding down and struggling to keep her eyes open—into her car seat in the back, gave her the pacifier, and then slid into the front beside Edward. With a wave, we followed Carlisle in Rose's BMW toward the 101, which would lead us out of town._

~*~FC~*~

Glancing at the clock on the dash, I realized it was just after six in the morning. We'd been driving since around five o'clock the previous afternoon, only having to make a few stops to change Lizzie and fill up with gas. From Forks to Spokane, Carlisle had stayed just over the speed limit, knowing if we drove like the Cullens normally did, we would attract too much attention because of traffic on the roads. But after ten o'clock, he and Edward had felt relatively safe in increasing our speed, which meant that we were already crossing the border into North Dakota.

The sun was beginning to lighten the night sky, and I knew from here on out, we were going to have to be careful. Alice had assured us that we'd be able to continue driving. We had another eight hundred miles or so to travel, but it would have to be at the lower speed, due to traffic.

After a glance back at Lizzie, who was beginning to stir, I turned back to face the radio, letting go of Edward's hand long enough to find a new station. I needed something up tempo, instead of the soothing jazz we'd been listening to. When I found a classic rock station playing a "Power Women in Rock and Roll History" marathon, I did a little bounce in my seat. Pat Benatar, Tina Turner, Joni Mitchell...and more current, Alicia Keys and Britney Spears. Just what I needed to take my mind off Forks.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Edward's POV**

Bella was quiet all the way through Washington and Montana. I was worried about her state of mind—not being able to hear inside her head was something I was having to get used to again—but rather than try to coax it out of her, I was leaving her to her thoughts for now. Eventually, we'd have to talk about it, but she was an adult. If she wanted to talk, I knew she'd tell me. Until then, I'd be here for her however she needed me.

For the almost five hours it took to cross North Dakota, Bella sang along with the radio, hopping back and forth between the front seat beside me and the back seat beside Lizzie. There was no danger with her climbing around the car while I was driving—if we somehow wrecked, there was virtually nothing that could happen to her—and it was faster to do that than stop every time Lizzie needed her mom. Not that we'd had to worry about that much. Lizzie was a dream traveler. I'd been on many planes, trains, and buses with infants, and I knew how awful traveling with them could be. But Lizzie was a calm baby, only truly fussing when she was hungry or needed her diaper changed. We stopped every time to change her and a few times to feed her, just to get her out of the seat for a while, but most of the time, Bella just left her in the seat and fed her that way. When she was dry and full, she was usually content to watch the toys hanging on the handle of her car seat or watch Bella in the mirror we'd clipped up so we could see her from our seats in the front.

My phone rang, Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood" blaring out of the speaker.

"Emmett!" I growled, shaking my head when Bella giggled. I could see Emmett in the car behind us, laughing his ass off.

Pressing the button on my Bluetooth to answer, I said, "Yes, Carlisle?"

"I need to stop up here for gas. You guys want to stop or go on ahead?"

I looked over at Bella. "Do we need to stop?"

Looking at the clock, she said, "Yeah, about time for Lizzie's bottle anyway, so I could get her out and feed her."

"We'll stop with you," I relayed to Carlisle, even though I knew he'd heard her.

"All right. There should be a place outside of Fargo that'll work," he said before clicking off.

"'Dr. Feelgood,' huh?" Bella asked with a grin.

I rolled my eyes. "Apparently, Emmett got into my phone again before we left."

"Mmhmm," she teased, her eyes glinting playfully.

Just then, 2 Live Crew's "Face Down, Ass Up" had her scrambling for the phone. I started laughing, watching her fumble for the thing to shut it off. Not only had Emmett messed with the ringtone, he'd turned up the volume so the sucker was on high.

Bella glared at me before turning her attention back to the phone and Emmett. "You little shit," she hissed. "You could've woken up Lizzie."

I raised an eyebrow, looking back to the baby through the rear view mirror. Lizzie was wide awake, sucking hard on her pacifier as she watched the little stuffed stars, moon, and sun swing in front of her, just within her reach. When I looked back at Bella, she just winked.

"Sorry!" Emmett said quickly. "I didn't mean to, Bellsy!" He sounded truly worried.

Finally, Bella gave up the pretense and chuckled. "Just kidding, bear boy," she teased. At his sputter, she snorted. "That's what you get for that stupid song and putting it on loud."

Emmett laughed. "Okay, okay. Anyway, you guys are stopping, right?"

"Yep," Bella answered. "You guys?"

"If you are, we are," he said. "Just in case."

Bella nodded. "Thanks, Em."

"Always, Bells."

Bella hung up the phone, smiling fondly and shaking her head. "I suppose we're going to have to go through all these and see what else he screwed with, huh?"

I laughed, nodding. "I would. Who knows what he did."

Over the next several minutes, Bella called out the songs Emmett had used on her phone—"Rhinestone Cowboy" for Jasper, "Supermodel" for Rose, and Lady Gaga's "Fashion" for Alice. Thankfully, he'd left Esme and all of Bella's other friends and family alone. After making sure everything was back to how she wanted it, Bella climbed into the back seat so she wouldn't have to get out at the gas station.

When we pulled into the Stop-N-Go, I said, "I'm gonna go ahead and fill up. Do you need anything for Lizzie?"

"We have enough water for one more bottle, so we should be okay."

I thought a moment as I waited for a free pump. "I'll go ahead and get a new bottle in case we have to stop somewhere without access."

She nodded, smiling, before turning her attention back to the baby.

Once I'd filled up the car, I parked and left Emmett and Carlisle with Bella and walked in with Jasper to get the water and pay for the gas.

_How's she doing?_ Jasper asked silently.

"She's doing okay," I said with a shrug. "She was quiet for a long stretch of the drive."

He nodded. "Well, if it helps, all I got from her when I said hello before following you in here was excitement and happiness. A little bit of nerves, but nothing sad or upsetting."

I smiled, looking back out at the car. "Yeah, I think she's happy about seeing the girls."

In his head, Jasper said, _I talked to Alice, who said she didn't see anything to worry about, so..._

Giving him a nod to show I'd heard him, I grabbed a bottled water from the refrigerated case, and we made our way to the counter. There was no line, so once the guy rang us up—with a wary look on his face the whole time—we walked back out to the cars.

"Okay, we should only have to fill up once more before getting to the house," Carlisle said. "You doing okay, sweetheart?" he asked, looking at Bella, who smiled and nodded. "Good. Let's get going, then."

"Wait!" Bella said, grinning up at me. "I wanna drive."

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Bella's POV**

Somehow, I was able to convince Edward to let me drive the rest of the way to Rhinelander. He'd been fine the last six hours, crawling back and forth between the front seat and Lizzie in the back. It was pretty funny to watch, though, since he was so much taller than I was. On one trip back to the back, he'd hit his head on the light on the ceiling and now owed Carlisle a new light cover and light bulb, since he'd cracked the original.

When we got into town, Carlisle led us on a detour, showing us around—per Alice's instructions, he'd said when Edward called him to ask why he was going the way he was. Now we were on the winding road that would lead us back to the house to the east of town. It was a good thing Carlisle was leading the way, though, because I'd have gotten thoroughly lost otherwise.

As they always did, Alice and Esme had found a house that was pretty well secluded. I knew it was close to a lake—although not right on it, for privacy's sake—and big. When I'd asked why we needed seven bedrooms _and_ a guest house, Alice had patiently explained that of the extra bedrooms, one would be Carlisle's office, one would be Lizzie's nursery, and the third would be a second office-turned school room for when Lizzie was older; the guest house was for Charlie or the wolves if they came to visit. That had shut me up pretty quickly, and I'd swallowed any further protests, thanking them gracefully.

They'd sent pictures of the place once they had gotten up there, yet... Nothing could've prepared me for my first real glimpse of the house when we came around the final curve.

To say it was big would have been an understatement. It was three stories and made of the most gorgeous hand-hewn logs. I could see a wraparound deck that looked to span the entire way around the house, and there was a pretty stone chimney off to one side of a huge peaked roof. It was beautiful.

The minute I stopped the car, Alice, Rose, and Esme raced up from where they'd been waiting on the front steps, pulled me from my seat, and bombarded me with questions.

"How was the trip? Did Edward drive you crazy?" Alice nearly squealed.

More sedate than her sister, Rose asked quietly, "Did Lizzie do okay?"

I laughed. "The trip was okay. Long. No, I think he was probably ready to take back control of the car and the radio, though," I said, grinning at Alice, who nodded. "Lizzie was fine, Rose. She was good almost the whole way."

Esme pulled me into her arms and gave me a hug. "How are you, Bella?" she whispered, pulling back to look into my eyes. She looked worried for me.

Smiling, I gave her another hug and answered, "I'm doing okay. It was hard...saying goodbye...but I'm excited to start this next chapter in my life."

She nodded, patted my cheek once in a motherly gesture, and then turned to say hello to the boys and Carlisle.

Rose had already pulled Lizzie's car seat out of the car. The seat was now on the ground, but Lizzie was safely ensconced in her arms, looking wide-eyed up at Rose.

"Hey, Rose, would you mind carrying her in while I help the guys with unloading the cars?"

Rose looked up and smiled. "Sure, Bella. Here, I'll take that, too," she said, taking the car seat, which I'd already picked up.

As she turned with Esme to walk back into the house, Edward moved up beside me and pulled me back against his chest.

"Welcome home, love," he murmured into my ear. "Should we go see the rest of the house?"

I turned in his arms, wrapping my own around his neck and pulling him down until I could feel his sweet breath ghost over my face. As his eyes darkened, I murmured, "In a minute," barely getting the words out before his lips covered mine.

Suddenly, more than anything else, Edward's arms made me realize that all my fears from before were baseless. Forks, Rhinelander, or Timbuktu...it didn't matter where we were.

_Edward_ was my home.


	35. Chapter 35: Epilogue

**Edward's POV**

"I'm gonna peek in on Lizzie," Bella said quietly as we got to the head of the stairs. "I'll be right in."

Nodding, I kissed her softly and then left her at Lizzie's door, making my way down the hall to our room.

We had a packed house, although at the moment, it was quiet—both in my head and out. All the humans—furry and not—were asleep, and the rest of my family was still out hunting. Carlisle and Esme were the last to go, having chosen to wait in the house with Lizzie while Bella and I were out, even though Jake and Seth were perfectly capable of hearing her from the room they were currently crashed out in on the second floor. Charlie and Sue were in the guest house out back, but when we'd walked past to get from the woods to the house, we'd heard their slow, steady heartbeats and even breathing, signaling they were still asleep as well.

I kicked off my shoes when I got into the room and padded on my sock feet into the bathroom. Stripping off my shirt, I tossed it in the hamper and had just reached down to the button on my jeans when I heard Bella come into the bathroom behind me. When she reached around to place her hands on mine, the lace of her bra rubbed against my skin as her breasts pressed to my back.

Turning around, the most gorgeous sight in the world came into view. Bella stood with a hand on her cocked hip, biting on her lower lip and peering up at me from under lowered lashes. She was naked except for the navy blue satin bra and panties, trimmed with black lace that contrasted beautifully with her pale skin.

"Mmm," I purred, tracing a single finger down one strap and around the edge of her bra. "This is new."

She grinned. "I bought it yesterday when Rose and Alice forced me out shopping."

My eyes were busy taking in the whole picture, but of their own volition, my hands had moved to cup her through the fabric. I had an almost unnatural fascination with her breasts, and the way they responded even now under my touch always left me wanting more. I brushed my thumbs across the tips, watching as they hardened, the peaks pushing against the fabric, as if reaching for my touch.

"Fuck, you're beautiful," I growled low.

Dipping into the cups, my hands curled around her breasts, pulling them out of the bra and leaving them on display. Bella's head fell back as I bent and captured a taut nipple between my lips, teasing it with my tongue. My fingers teased the other, rolling it between my thumb and forefinger, pinching and pulling gently. I switched sides, scraping my teeth gently on the other nipple and using the venom from my mouth to help tease the first with my fingers.

When Bella squeezed her thighs together, I was hit with a new wave of her arousal. My girl was so wet, I could hear it as the satin covering her shifted.

She whimpered when my hand slid from her breast to cup her intimately, pressing the heel of my hand against the top of her mound.

"E-Edward," she stuttered, grinding against my hand for more.

With a final kiss to the tip, I released her breast and kissed my way up her chest to her neck. Placing a long, slow, wet kiss below her ear, I slid my hand into her panties, pressing my fingers through her folds and feeling the wetness coat my fingers.

I couldn't wait any longer to see her come. Watching Bella fall apart in my arms gave me the most powerful feeling, knowing I'd made her feel that way. With two fingers, I delved farther, circling her, before sliding them into her warmth. She was hot and wet, gripping my fingers as I moved them in and out slowly.

Bella was writhing on my hand, her own fingers back to where mine had been at her breasts. When her breathing picked up, I pressed my thumb on her clit and curled my fingers, stroking the spot on the front of her body that always drove her wild, and sucked hard on the skin of her neck. She cried out, clenching hard around me as she came.

_Beautiful._

As she relaxed, I withdrew my fingers, watching as her eyes darkened when I sucked them into my mouth, relishing the taste of her.

"Delicious," I said, leaning in to kiss her and letting her taste herself on my tongue.

We kissed long and hard, until I thought I would break the zipper on my jeans.

"Shower," Bella finally whispered against my lips, dragging her hand down my body until she was cupping me through the denim.

I reached back without looking and turned on the water. Barely moving apart enough to get the rest of our clothes off, we finally made our way under the spray, the heated water causing us both to sigh as it streamed down on our skin.

Bella wrapped her arms around me, letting the water pour down over our heads, wetting us both. My dick was rock hard, trapped between us, and already spilling pre-cum. I was so ready for her, but apparently, my dirty girl had other ideas. Dropping to her knees, she took me all the way to the back of her throat in one quick movement.

Choking back a gasp, I reached out and braced myself on the wall with one arm, tangling my fingers in her hair with the other. I didn't force her movements, but guided her as she sucked and licked. Her small hand reached up and wrapped around my length, stroking me slowly as she teased and sucked, her teeth gently scraping and nibbling around the head. When her tongue teased the slit at the top, her free hand reached up and cupped my balls, rolling them in her palm and squeezing gently, nearly making me shoot off like a rocket.

I didn't want that, though. I wanted to be inside her when I came, so I backed away, smirking when she frowned up at me. Her frown turned into a grin when I crooked my finger at her, silently telling her to stand.

Once she was on her feet, I grasped her chin, holding her still for what would have been a bruising kiss had she still been my fragile human. As it was, it only served to fuel the flames burning bright inside us both, and she clawed at my back, drawing me closer.

Needing more, I pulled back, sliding my hands around and down her back, cupping her cheeks and kneading the soft flesh with my fingertips. In a well-practiced move, I lifted her, turned us around as her legs wrapped around my waist, and watched as she reached above us to grab onto the bar we'd put into the shower wall. When she had a good grip, I lowered her down with one arm, using the other to guide her onto my length.

We both groaned as I slid deep. Bella held on as I began to move, my hips hitting the back of her thighs with every thrust.

"Oh, God!" she cried, throwing her head back and pushing her chest out.

Lowering my head, I sucked a nipple hard into my mouth, scraping my teeth against the tender skin and ending with a stinging bite to the tip. Her moans and whimpers let me know I wasn't being too rough, and if they hadn't, the gasping "More!" would have. With my hands on her ass, keeping our rhythm, I trailed my tongue across her skin, lapping at the water from the shower, until I reached the other side of her chest, giving that breast the same attention as I had the first.

When I gave a particularly hard thrust, I heard the sound of cracking tile and knew we'd broken the support on the bar above Bella's head. Rather than letting that ruin our fun, I decided to simply change our position slightly. Pulling out—to Bella's disgruntled whine—I lowered her to her feet. Squatting to my heels, I lifted her right leg, placing kisses up her leg until I reached the juncture of her thighs. With one last kiss to the top of her mound, I stood, hooking her leg over my forearm. It opened her wide for me, her leg stretched straight to rest almost up on my shoulder. We'd never have been able to do this as humans, but there were definite advantages to being a vampire.

With one hand on her thigh, I guided myself back inside her, feeling the change in our new position immediately. Bella apparently felt it too, as one hand slid to the back of my neck while the other reached out to grab my hip, her nails digging into my skin. I couldn't go fast this way, but it put us face to face, our bodies as close as they could be as her back pressed against the shower wall.

Before long, I felt my balls tighten in anticipation. Bella was fluttering around my length, so I knew she was getting close.

"Make yourself come," I said, my voice husky and echoing in the large shower. "Touch yourself, Isabella." I was nearly pleading, wanting to feel her come around me before I let go.

Bella whimpered as her hand slid from my shoulder, down my chest and abdomen, finally coming to rest where we were joined. I groaned as she split her fingers into a "V," surrounding my cock as I thrust into her. Finally—_finally!_—her fingers moved and she pressed her clit. I watched as she circled it before taking it between her fingertips and pinching lightly. When she gasped, I looked up to see her eyes roll back in her head as she came, squeezing me and yanking my own orgasm from my body until I thought I would collapse. From the heat that started at my dick and raced through my body, to the scent of our combined arousal, everything seemed to magnify, making stars flash behind my eyelids as I slammed my hand against the tile to hold myself up.

As gracefully as I could, I lowered Bella's leg, my length sliding from her as I pulled her into my arms, moving us under the now-slightly cooler spray. We stood there for several minutes, just breathing in each other's scent and taking a last few minutes to ourselves.

Finally, Bella sighed. "I suppose we'd better get cleaned up. Lizzie will be up soon, and we have a party to get ready for. I can't leave Alice alone too long, or she'll go crazy."

I grinned, remembering Alice's visions of a princess-themed party for our daughter's first birthday. It'd looked like Emmett had gotten hold of Pepto-Bismol; the entire thing was pink.

"Yes, she will," I agreed with a laugh, reaching for the soap.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Bella's POV**

Edward kissed me one more time and then left the room to head downstairs. If Lizzie wasn't awake yet when I finished fixing my hair, I'd join him. Otherwise, I'd get her dressed and bring her down with me.

I'd just finished when I heard Lizzie's heartbeat and breathing pick up, and within seconds, she let out a whimper. I tossed my comb into the drawer, slid my phone into my pocket, and then walked down the hall to her room before she could work herself into a full-blown cry.

When she saw me open her door, her face lit up and she grinned at me. She was standing in the crib, holding onto the rail and doing a little bounce of excitement.

"Mommommommom," she chanted, holding her arms up for me. As I made my way across the room, she babbled the nonsense that was foreign to everyone, it seemed, except Rose.

"Good morning, Lizzie girl," I said, swooping her up. "Did you sleep well?"

"Dada!" She looked around the room, trying to find Edward, before turning back to me with a confused look on her face.

"Dada is downstairs. Come on, pretty girl. Let's get you changed and dressed, okay?"

"Dada!" she called again, whimpering and jutting out her lower lip.

I held in my laughter. She was a daddy's girl through and through. The adoration was a two-way street, though. She had him wrapped around her little finger.

"Yes, Dada," I said, nuzzling her neck and placing a gentle kiss on her sweet skin.

Lizzie continued babbling, calling out for not only Dada, but EmEm and Ose, as well, as I grabbed everything I'd need and took her to my room.

After wetting a soft washcloth in the bathroom sink, I laid her down on the bed between my legs and handed her the little stuffed bear she never went anywhere without—a gift from her Uncle Emmett. While she was occupied, I quickly changed the wet diaper and then gave her a good once-over with the washcloth. She'd had a bath the night before, so it was more just for form than anything.

Ready to be downstairs with everyone, she started squirming, making it hard for me to put on the "My First Birthday" onesie we'd bought a few days before.

"Nonononono!" she cried, trying once more to get down from the bed.

"Let's get dressed, baby, and then we can go see Daddy and eat breakfast, okay?"

Handing her back the bear, which she'd flung to the side, I successfully distracted her long enough to get not only the onesie on, but the matching leggings, socks, and shoes, as well. I didn't bother with putting a little bow in her hair; I knew it would just get pulled out before the party, and Alice would want to change her later anyway.

"All right, sweet girl," I said, scooping up the wet diaper with one hand and Lizzie with the other.

I stopped at her door to drop the diaper in the Diaper Genie, and then we started making our way down the stairs. It seemed she was Miss Independent on her first birthday. When we reached the bottom, she started grunting and pointing to the floor, babbling something that I took to mean she wanted to get down. It seemed that more and more often, she wanted to walk whenever we'd let her, rather than be carried.

As soon as I set her on her feet and she heard voices in the living room, she took off. She wasn't fast yet, but she was anxious to see who was there, so with arms out to her sides to help keep her balance, she toddled off, calling out for Edward.

When Edward stepped around the corner of the living room, Lizzie went straight to him.

"Dada!" She continued talking, patting his cheeks as he brought her up and planted a noisy kiss on her cheek.

"Hey, Lizzie-girl," he said. "Good morning, sunshine. Happy birthday!"

"Buh buh buh!"

I laughed. "Yes, birthday. Come on, let's go see Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Sue, huh?"

My dad and Sue had flown in the night before, after Lizzie was already asleep, bringing Seth and Jake with them. Quil and Embry had wanted to come, but Claire had a cold, so Quil wanted to stay with her, and they were both needed at the rez since Jake and Seth weren't missing this for anything.

Charlie was sitting with Emmett, Jasper, Jake, and Seth in the living room, watching SportsCenter, which was talking about the Green Bay versus Seattle game later in the afternoon. Of course, my dad was claiming that his Seahawks were going to win, but Em and Jasper were adamant that their new hometown team, the Packers, would take it. Jake and Seth were quiet, but I knew they were trying not to take sides. They were more realistic about the Seahawks' chances than Charlie was.

All of it stopped when Edward and I walked in with Lizzie.

Charlie's face lit up in a grin, and he stood, holding out his arms. "Baby girl!"

Lizzie, who loved her Grandpa Charlie as much as he loved her, nearly threw herself out of Edward's arms and into his.

He carried her over to the couch, setting her on his lap as she talked to him. Even though he didn't understand any of it, he nodded and talked back in appropriate places, tickling her little belly until she giggled and squirmed in his arms.

"She gave you trouble?" Edward asked against my neck as he wrapped his arms around me from behind.

I laughed softly. "No more than usual. She was anxious to see her daddy."

When I looked back, the smile on Edward's face could have lit up an entire city block.

"The feeling was mutual, I assure you," he said and then moved up beside me, taking my hand. "Come on, love. Come see what Alice has planned."

After a breakfast of Cream of Wheat, sliced banana, and milk, Lizzie went back to Grandpa Charlie, who bundled her up and took her out in the snow for a few minutes with her daddy and all of her uncles. Alice was in charge of decorations for the party—and I'd told her under no circumstances did I want the sunroom looking like a bag of cotton candy had exploded—while Rose was in charge of wrapping all the gifts, and Sue, Esme, and I were working on food for all the humans, as well as the birthday cakes.

By the time the cakes were all made and ready to decorate, Lizzie had eaten a snack and her lunch and was down for the count in her crib upstairs. She fought taking naps more and more, but in the end, the boys had worn her down, and it hadn't taken much to get her to lie down. Edward had read her a story, and her eyes had closed before he'd even finished the book.

Since Lizzie loved butterflies, we were doing a butterfly cake for everyone and a smaller version for Lizzie herself. The big one was made using a handful of cake pans, but the small one, I'd had to freehand from a small round cake. It had turned out okay, and once we'd gotten all the icing and pink edible glitter on, you could tell without trouble what it was. The bigger cake was slightly less work—no freehand carving since the cake itself was a background to the butterfly we made with icing, smooth and piped both—but it was beautiful when completed, matching the small version perfectly.

While Lizzie was napping, Emmett convinced all the men to go outside and have a huge snowball fight. Charlie protested that he was way out of his depth, but Edward, Jake, and Seth said they would all be on his team, and with Edward's mind-reading ability, he'd be fine. Every so often, I looked out the window, and it did indeed look like Charlie was fine. In fact, I hadn't seen him having that much fun in a long time. At one point, I looked out, and he and Edward were deep in conversation on the far side of the yard. I couldn't hear them from where I was, but I assumed they were talking strategy, because suddenly, Edward whipped around and nailed Emmett in the face with a snowball as he sneaked around a tree toward them. I shook my head and grinned before going back to work on the potatoes for dinner.

The guys were all in the living room watching the football game, while we finished last minute touches on dinner, when Lizzie woke up.

Edward called, "I'll get her."

I smiled and went back to slicing the roast. It looked like we had enough food for all the adults in the house, but with the way Jake and Seth ate, I knew we'd have enough for dinner, as well as enough for roast beef sandwiches and stuff for their lunches tomorrow. We were keeping dinner pretty casual, since I didn't want Charlie and Sue to feel awkward eating in front of us. Charlie and the boys could eat in the living room, and Sue could either stay in there with them, or eat at the dining room table while I fed Lizzie, who was getting little bits of everything—roast chopped into small pieces, carrots cooked a little longer than everyone else's, and a little mashed potatoes.

Esme and I laid everything out buffet-style, and then I filled Lizzie's small plate while Esme went to tell Charlie, Jake, and Seth that dinner was ready.

To my surprise, rather than going back into the living room, everyone crowded around the table to eat...or to watch them eat. Charlie sat on the other side of Lizzie, paying attention to her as well as to the conversation around the table. Sue sat to his other side, talking with Esme, who'd taken the seat beside her. Conversation flowed easily, ranging from the latest happenings in Forks, to new construction at the school on the reservation, to some of the more interesting things Carlisle had seen at the hospital recently.

When everyone was finished eating, Alice held her hands out. "Give me the baby, and no one gets hurt," she ordered. "I'm gonna put her in her party clothes; isn't that right, sweetheart?" She held Lizzie close as the baby gripped her aunt's hair, tugging hard on the short strands as she babbled away.

They were still talking as Alice whisked her away upstairs.

"You guys can go on into the sunroom," I said, smiling. "I'll get this stuff put away and come in after."

"I'll help," Rose said, picking up some of the dishes from the table.

"Are you sure you don't n—" Sue started, but held her hands up and smiled when I just shot her a look. She was the guest, and she knew it.

Esme led her and the guys out of the room, leaving Edward behind with me in the dining room.

"I've got these, love," he said, pointing to the rest of the dishes. "You get the cakes ready."

I nodded, kissed him, and then walked ahead of him into the kitchen.

Rose had already gotten the cakes out of the refrigerator and had the candle in the shape of the number one beside the small one, along with the matches we'd bought at the store.

Smiling gratefully, I put the candle in the middle of the small butterfly cake, and then the three of us made our way into the sunroom. We were going to do presents first, since after she got into the cake, Lizzie would need a bath and then would probably go right to bed.

I walked into the room and was amazed at how great a job Alice had done. There were balloons and streamers with pretty paper butterflies hanging from them. Carlisle had lit the fireplace, so the room was nice and warm. I sat down on the floor near the presents from everyone, which were off to the side, with a spot for Lizzie in the center. Edward sat with me, leaving the couch nearest our spot for Charlie and Sue. Everyone else pulled up chairs from around the room or just sat down on the floor near us.

When Alice brought Lizzie in, I saw that she had indeed dressed her in another of the new outfits we'd bought a few days before. This time, it was a pink T-shirt with ruffles on the sleeves and a big, sparkly silver number one on the front, along with a pair of light gray leggings, matching pink socks, and her little sneakers. She looked adorable.

For twenty minutes, Lizzie opened present after present—from blocks to little musical instruments, to bath toys and a new baby doll. She was much more interested in the boxes than the toys, but I knew that would change the next day when the boxes were gone. Through it all, Charlie took pictures with a digital camera we'd handed him, laughing at and showing us a few of them.

When all the gifts had been opened, Edward, Rose, and I went back into the kitchen, leaving the others to get Lizzie ready for cake.

I struck a match and lit the candle, quickly picking up the small cake. Edward grabbed the larger cake, and with Rose walking backward down the short hall, we made our way back into the sunroom.

When we walked in, Lizzie was strapped into her high chair, banging her hands on the tray. Alice had put a new "Birthday Girl!" bib on over her clothes, although I had my doubts it would keep her clean.

When she saw us, my daughter's eyes lit up. "Mommommommom!" she cried, struggling to get out of the high chair.

Alice stood beside her, keeping her from escaping. "Look, Lizzie," she said, pointing to me. "Mommy's got some yummy cake for you."

We all knew Lizzie didn't really understand what was going on, but she watched intently as Edward put the big cake down on the little table in the room before coming over with me to stand beside the high chair.

I bent down so I was eye level and, keeping it out of her reach, showed Lizzie her little cake. We'd been practicing blowing, but it wasn't something she had down pat, so I wasn't sure if she was going to be able to do it. Still, I said, "Okay, Lizzie, blow out your candle!" I puckered up and sucked in a big breath like we'd practiced.

Lizzie watched me and then tried imitating what I was doing, but when she blew, she just spit everywhere. I grinned and blew the candle out myself.

Everyone clapped, prompting Lizzie to clap, too, and then we sang "Happy Birthday" as she looked, wide-eyed, around the room. It was a weird mix of voices—the vampires all had good voices, perfected by the change, but the wolves and humans were...interesting—but by the end, Lizzie was babbling along loudly, grinning.

I took the candle out and then set the cake down on her tray, backing away a little so Rose could get in close with the camera. I saw a flash and realized Charlie was snapping pictures of Lizzie as she poked a finger into the purple and pink icing. I knew he'd gotten a great one when she stuck her finger in her mouth to taste this new thing and her eyes lit up. He continued taking them as Lizzie threw both hands down on the cake, sending crumbs everywhere.

For several minutes, we all just laughed as Lizzie shoveled cake into her mouth by the fistful. She was covered in icing and pink edible glitter, and there was as much of the stuff on the plastic sheet Alice had put under the high chair as there was on her face and hands. She even had some in her hair.

As she continued to play and eat, Esme cut up the bigger cake, serving large pieces to Jake and Seth and smaller pieces to Charlie and Sue. I realized as I watched her serve them that the cake was way too big, but maybe by the time they left in a couple of days, it would all be gone.

When Lizzie's eyes began drooping, I handed the remains of her cake off to Edward and then set about cleaning her off well enough to get her upstairs without smearing icing and crumbs everywhere.

"Say good night, pretty girl," I told her, holding her out to get kisses from everyone but Edward, who went upstairs with us.

Rather than give her a full bath, we decided to just clean her up with a washcloth again. She was crashing quickly, and there was no point in putting her in the tub if she was going to fall asleep in the middle of it. Once she was as clean as she was going to get, Edward handed me a diaper and her butterfly pajamas. I pulled them on, and then we walked quietly into her room. I tried laying her in her crib, but she protested, pointing to her bookcase and babbling.

"Booboobooboo!"

"You want a story, birthday girl?" Edward asked, moving over to the shelf of books.

Lizzie stuck her thumb in her mouth and curled into my chest as I sat down in one of the rocking chairs across from her crib.

Edward picked up "Time for Bed," one of our favorite books to read at night, and settled in to the chair beside me. In his velvet-smooth voice, he read about darkness falling all over the house, about the little cat, sheep, bee, and all the other animals getting ready for bed.

By the time he read, "The stars on high are shining bright. Sweet dreams, my darling, sleep well...good night!" Lizzie was snoring softly in my arms. Her thumb had fallen out, and she was the picture of innocence and purity as dreams took her away.

I started to get up, but Edward stopped me with a hand on my arm. He took her carefully from me, laid her in the crib, and covered her up. She never once stirred.

When he turned back around, I started to get up again, but he shook his head. I tilted my head in question, but instead of responding, he got down on one knee in front of my chair. It only took moments for me to realize what he was doing, and that made my breath catch.

"Isabella Swan, I promise to love you every moment of forever. I want to be your husband—" he looked over at Lizzie, smiling softly "—and Lizzie's father for the rest of time more than anything I've ever wanted in my entire existence. Would you do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?"

He held out a gorgeous gold and diamond ring, and I knew without him saying anything that it had to have been his mother's. It looked like an antique, and if I knew him, he'd have wanted to use his mother's ring instead of buying me something new.

I blinked back the sting of venomous tears that would never fall, and for a split second, I remembered everything that had led us here, to this point in time. I looked down at my sleeping daughter, hearing in my head her calling for her "Dada" and remembering the way she looked at him—the same way he always looked at the two of us, like we were the center of his world. When I looked back at Edward, I'd never been more sure of anything.

I couldn't stop the grin that split my face when I whispered my answer.

"Yes."

"Yes?" Edward verified, his eyes going wide.

"Edward, I love you. Lizzie loves you. There's no one in the world that holds a candle to how much you love us. Why wouldn't I—"

The rest of my words were muffled as he pulled me into his arms, pressing his lips to mine as he slid the ring onto my left hand.

As we kissed, our daughter in the crib beside us and our family two floors below, I realized life had a funny way of coming full circle. Douglas Adams said it best in his fantasy detective novel, "The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul." He wrote, "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."

I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was exactly where I needed to be.

~*~FC~*~

_A/N: Edward's proposal-minus the line about Lizzie-is direct from Eclipse, the movie, not the book._


	36. Outtake 1: Panties

_A/N: This outtake takes place between chapters 22 & 23, after Bella & Edward made love for the first time but before Bella gets to actually hold Lizzie. No real warnings or anything. Just a bit of light-hearted fun._

~*~FC~*~

**Outtake 1: Panties  
>Emmett's POV<strong>

"Can't believe I have to do all this," I grumbled to myself, dropping the bags of laundry.

Sure, I'd gotten carried away while hunting with Edward and Jasper and ruined all our clothes. But I didn't see why that meant I had to do everyone's laundry. Guess I just needed to be glad that didn't include doing the girls' frilly, lacy crap. "As if I'm going to let you get your paws on all my panties, let alone Esme's, Alice's, and Bella's," Rose had bitched. It was bad enough I had to do all my clothes as well as Daddy C's, the cowboy's, and Edward's—the man formerly known as Emo-boy.

Guess it could've been worse. It wasn't like we could sweat or leave skid marks. But still...I had better things to do than wash their skivvies.

Alice would kill me if I just dumped everything into the washer, so I huffed a frustrated growl and started sorting the clothes into piles. Whites here, darks there... What about this other light-colored stuff? Did that go with whites? This shit was way too fucking complicated.

Jasper's stuff was easy. He almost always wore dark colors. Mine and Carlisle's, on the other hand, were a mix. Ah well, fuck it. If someone ended up with a pink shirt, it wasn't my fucking fault.

That left Edward's. I grabbed the basket and dumped out his shirts, jeans, and boxers...and got a whiff of something unexpected.

_What the hell?_

~*~*~FC~*~*

**Edward's POV**

Rolling my eyes at Emmett's internal monologue, I turned back to the computer. I was getting some of the financial stuff sorted, getting accounts set up so that Charlie Swan would be set for the rest of his life. Whether the baby—Elizabeth—stayed with him or left with Bella and our family, she would be financially covered, as well.

Bella didn't know I was doing this yet. She was out hunting with the girls and Jasper, leaving me here with Emmett. The others had left as well, presumably to hunt in another direction from my siblings and Bella. I had no idea how she would take all the money stuff I was doing. I didn't think she'd be as worried or bothered now as she was whenever I'd spent money on her before—at least, I hoped not. I knew I wasn't directly responsible for what happened to her, but even if I didn't still feel guilty, I'd have wanted to do this. Charlie and the baby were Bella's family, and since Bella was the love of my existence, they were my family as well, and family takes care of each other.

_What the hell?_

Emmett's thoughts pulled me back to the present. In my head, I could see him looking down into my basket of clothes.

_That smells like Bella whenever she's around Eddie and..._

I shut him out of my head as best I could, knowing immediately what he was smelling. "Fuck," I growled, leaping out of my chair so fast that it flew backwards and crashed to the floor.

Taking off at a run down the stairs, I yelled, "Leave it alone, Emmett!"

Why I'd thought that would work, I had no idea. By the time I got to the first floor, Emmett's laughter rang through the house. I didn't bother listening to his thoughts because every single one of them was coming straight from his mouth.

"Oh, Eddie!" He cackled another laugh. "You and Bella-boo were up to no good! Forget to check your pockets, didja?"

I came around the corner of the laundry to see him holding Bella's panties up in one hand, dangling them from his finger with a smirk on his face.

"Give. Them. To. Me," I growled low.

Emmett frowned. "But Eddie—"

"Don't call me Eddie," I huffed. "And give me the damn panties, Emmett."

"Okay, _Edward_," he stressed, tossing them from one hand to another. "But don't you think these would look good on me? They might be a tight fit, though... Maybe I _should_ give them to you. I bet you'd look great in this color."

That was it. I jumped at him, but he darted out of the way just in the nick of time, throwing the back door open and racing out into the yard.

It didn't take me long to catch him—I was faster, and I heard every thought he had before he could make the move—and he tossed the black lace at me, hoping it would stop me from wanting to kill him.

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you," I promised, tucking the panties in my pocket again as I smirked at his relief in his thoughts. "No, that would just upset Rose and Esme..."

"Oh, shit," he cried, seeing me advance toward him. He turned and took off for a run out into the forest, leaping over obstacles and running around trees.

I let him get a bit away before I took off after him, laughing at his thoughts.

_Man, chill out. You know I was just teasing. I'd never have teased Bella about them._

I laughed to myself and slowed, realizing having him run from me was just as fun as catching him and beating on him...until he continued.

_Well, okay, maybe I would. She would still be embarrassed. I kind of miss her blush. That was always so funny, wasn't it? It might be worth the beating to—_

"Emmett!" I couldn't stop the bark of his name. "I changed my mind. It'll be worth Esme's and Rose's wrath!"

I heard Emmett take off again at full speed, giving a little girl-like squeal, and with an evil grin, I raced off after him.


	37. Outtake 2: The Rocking Chair

_A/N: This outtake takes place during chapter 31, after Bella has "come back" from being away, shortly after Angela's visit, and before Edward & Bella get all lusty on the couch in front of Jasper & Emmett._

~*~FC~*~

**Outtake 2: The Rocking Chair  
>Bella's POV<strong>

I smiled at my newly painted nails, blowing softly at the almost-dry polish. Alice would be proud that I'd been able to do it myself—and especially that I'd wanted to do it at all.

I'd been "home" for a few days. Charlie was at work, Sue was at the reservation, and I was at Charlie's house with Carlisle and Emmett. We'd convinced Jasper and Edward to go hunting. They'd been worried about leaving me, but Carlisle and Emmett had promised that between the two of them, they could handle anything unexpected.

When Lizzie's heart rate sped up slightly and the little sleep noises she usually made got louder, I knew she was waking up.

I stood and hurried through the living room to the stairs, throwing a wave at Carlisle and Emmett as I passed. Emmett had challenged Carlisle to a game on the Xbox, and while Carlisle didn't play very often, I could tell he was having a good time, even though Emmett was clearly winning.

I got to the door of the bedroom and turned the knob, intending to sneak in and just wait until she was awake. But when I closed the door behind me, she let out a sigh and babbled nonsense, and I realized she'd woken up completely between the first noise I'd heard downstairs and the time I made it to the bedroom.

"Hi, sweetheart," I cooed, grabbing a blanket before reaching in to pick her up. It still amazed me that she didn't shy away from the cold temperature of my skin, but the blanket was necessary to give her padding and insulation, not only from the temperature, but from the hardness of my skin compared to hers. The last thing I wanted was for her to jerk her arm out and hurt her hand as it hit me.

Lizzie's big green eyes blinked at me, and she continued to babble, making squeaking, happy baby noises as I used my free hand to grab a diaper and the wipes, taking everything to the bed.

As I changed her wet diaper, I tickled her belly, drawing a squealing laugh, and then talked back and forth with her, as if she could understand everything I was saying.

"Tell me a story, Lizzie-bear."

I grinned as she squealed and babbled in response.

"Uh-huh, and then what?"

Another squeal and baby laugh.

"No!" I gasped, my eyes wide. "And then what happened? Tell me all about it!"

She laughed again as I leaned down and blew on her tummy gently before snapping her onesie over her clean diaper.

Picking her and the blanket up, I dropped the old diaper in the Diaper Genie. Rather than head straight downstairs, I decided I wanted another few minutes with her by myself. I hadn't had much of that since the day I'd been attacked by Laurent, and while I enjoyed everyone's company, I needed a moment with my daughter to just...be.

Spying the rocker in the corner of the room, I made my way to it and sat, holding Lizzie and letting her play with my fingers. I could tell she was hungry, because she immediately grabbed on and brought my hand to her mouth. I'd figured out that the cold of my skin must have felt good, because she liked to gum my knuckle if I let her.

"Is that good, sweet girl?"

Her answering squeak around the knuckle of my index finger made me laugh.

For a few minutes, I sat quietly, just rocking and watching her. I told her about having to leave Forks and her Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Sue in a few days. It still weighed heavy on my heart that we were having to leave, but there were no better options. Luckily, I knew they'd be able to come visit, but it was still hard.

I also used that time to think. I worried so much about the future—about Lizzie's future in particular. Yes, she would have so many advantages, growing up with a family that could literally afford to take her anywhere suitable for vampires, and with all the knowledge the entire family had, she would learn more than she would've otherwise. But there were huge risks involved, as well. Children were always falling down and skinning their knees or bumping their chin...and those things meant blood. Was I putting her in horrible danger because of that? I had faith in every single one of the Cullens, and I had to trust that if Carlisle and Eleazar had been wrong and I lost it the first time she tripped and bloodied her knee, the family would be there to stop me from hurting her—in fact, I had to trust that we would all simply look out for everyone, since I was certainly not the only one that could hurt her in a horrific loss of control.

And then, of course, we had to worry about the Volturi. As of now, they didn't know about me, let alone Lizzie. And we certainly weren't going to tell them. The only other ones that knew of my daughter were either dead or family. Carlisle had assured me that Eleazar's family would keep the knowledge of us raising a human child to themselves, and I had to trust him, even if I didn't know the Denali coven well enough to trust in them yet. I'd voiced my fear of the Italian rulers to Edward just the day before, and he'd promised that Alice was keeping a close eye on our futures. We'd know before they made a move to come to here to the States, and we'd deal with it if and when it happened. Until then, I couldn't continue to worry about it, or I'd be unable to enjoy being with my daughter.

Lizzie cried out unhappily, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Hmm, I bet you're getting hungry, aren't you, sweet girl?" I asked in a soothing tone. "Should we go downstairs and get you a bottle?"

"No need," Carlisle said from the doorway. "Alice sent me a text and said I should bring this up; she had a vision that you'd need it."

I'd been so wrapped up in my thoughts that I hadn't heard him coming upstairs.

He handed me a warmed bottle and his cell phone. "She also said to have you call her."

"Thanks," I told him, smiling.

Carlisle brushed the top of Lizzie's head gently. "We'll be downstairs if you need us."

I nodded and smiled as he left the room. After coaxing the nipple of the bottle between Lizzie's lips, I held it with my chin for a moment while I dialed Alice's number.

"I was right about the bottle?" Alice asked by way of greeting.

Laughing, I answered, "Yeah, you were right. I was sitting here with her for a few minutes after she woke up and was just about to head downstairs to make her one."

"That was the vision I had before coming back to Forks—you holding her in the rocker, I mean. The shirt's different, but other than that, it's the same."

I sighed, looking down at my daughter, and then chuckled. "Yeah, that's one thing I learned pretty quickly after having her: Don't wear something you mind getting pooped, peed, or spit up on."

Alice laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

"You know, I've never been more thankful for anything than I am about that vision. I know seeing the future is a gift, but I also know it's a curse. But you gave me back my life, in a manner of speaking. If I'd had to leave her..." My voice trailed off as my throat closed almost painfully tight.

"But you didn't," she reassured me. "And yes, you're right about it being both a gift and a curse, but times like seeing Jasper and Carlisle's family for the first time and being able to tell you that you didn't have to leave her make all that bad stuff worth it."

We continued talking while Lizzie ate. Alice told me about the new house, about getting their things moved, and some of the ideas she had for Lizzie's new nursery.

When the bottle was empty, I said, "I need to go. I need to burp her, and then I think I'm gonna see if Carlisle will watch her while I go hunting with Emmett. Thanks again, Alice...for everything."

"You never have to thank me, Bella," she said, uncharacteristically reserved. "You're family—you and Lizzie."

_Family..._

Swallowing around the emotion welling up inside me, I murmured, "Still..."

"Go shopping with me the first chance you're able, and we'll call it even, okay?" she teased. "Now go. Take care of your girl. And give my Jazzy a kiss for me. Tell him I miss him."

I laughed. "I will. Talk to you later, Ali."

When she'd said goodbye, I hung up the phone and raised Lizzie to my shoulder, patting her gently until she released the gas that had built up while eating.

"Good girl," I praised her, giggling when Emmett cheered from downstairs. "All right, sweetie, let's go see if Grandpa Carlisle will watch you, okay? Momma needs to eat, too."

As I walked carefully down the stairs, I thought over what Alice had said. _Family._ It truly felt like Lizzie and I had become a part of the Cullen family. It was an amazing feeling, and while I still wasn't thrilled that Laurent had bitten me, I finally felt like maybe my life would be better because of it. I would always be able to provide for my daughter, Edward was back and we were stronger than we'd ever been, and I had everyone I loved around me.

Yeah, life was good.


	38. Outtake 3: Revenge

_A/N: This outtake takes place after the epilogue. Warning for violence. Also, this outtake deals with memories of Bella's rape. The rapist is not a nice guy, and he says some things that are very insensitive and awful, so if this is a trigger, please beware that this brings all that up._

~*~FC~*~

**Outtake 3: Revenge  
>Edward's POV<strong>

The three of us were quiet as we stood, hidden from the road and the air by the thick copse of trees. It was dark out, and there wasn't much traffic, being the middle of the night, but we weren't taking any chances. We all knew what we were doing and knew there was no need to speak any more about it. This had been a long time coming—a year had passed since I'd learned of Bella's fate on what was supposed to have been a fun vacation for spring break with her friends. My mind wandered for a moment as I waited to see the vehicle we were there for.

"_They seemed fun. They were in their first year of college, down from the University of Alabama. We hung out all afternoon at the beach and then again the next day for most of the afternoon. That evening, they asked us to go to a club with them. My mom and Phil were going out that night to the movies, so we decided to go dancing. We had fun, but I was ready to be home before eleven, so we didn't stay too late."_

There it is, I'd thought. The new man in Bella's life, her baby's father, was someone she'd met on spring break only months after I'd left.

"_He offered me another drink, saying he just needed to grab a grab a few things, so I might as well be comfortable. I took a seat on the bed and drank the small bottle of tequila from the minibar. I tried sipping it at first, but I remember thinking it was simply awful, so I just chugged the rest."_

I remembered rage—at myself, at what I knew was coming. Fear—paralyzing, brutal terror at hearing the words spoken aloud.

"_The next thing I remember is waking up the next morning, naked, and alone in the hotel room. His things were gone, and there was a note on the dresser with my clothes. Thanks for the good time. Like we'd just had sex, instead of him raping me."_

A crushing weight on my chest—if I'd had to breathe, I couldn't have. Even now, over a year after hearing the words for the first time, I felt that same pain lance through me. Bella, my life, my love, drugged, used, and abused, and then discarded without a second thought. Prison wasn't good enough for the bastard that had made her feel like he had, that had violated her and taken what wasn't his to take.

And that was why Emmett, Jasper, and I were here, in the middle of nowhere—about forty-five minutes north of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Shortly after Bella told me about the illustrious Mr. Hunter Ellison, I'd begun keeping track of him. It had been easy—he'd been in a minimum security facility and their computers were surprisingly easy to hack into—and I'd been biding my time while trying to figure out what I could do about him. I knew I had time. He wasn't going anywhere. For months after we moved from Forks, I kept watch through not only the computer, but through Jenks. The man was being paid ridiculously well to keep me informed of anything regarding Columbia Correctional Institution.

About a month after Lizzie's first birthday, I'd received a communication from him on the designated e-mail account I'd set up specifically for that purpose. He'd said that n March, there were going to be changes at the prison in Florida where Ellison was being held. About fifty prisoners were going to be moved to a bigger facility used to housing violent offenders. Another hundred were being moved to another facility in Florida that was newer and bigger. Finally, a small group had been selected for transfer to various other prisons across the U.S. Because Hunter Ellison had family in Minnesota, he was being moved up to Minnesota Correctional Facility in Faribault, which was only a few hours from his parents. It was going to be a twenty-four hour drive from his current location in Florida to his new home away from home in Minnesota, without stopping for more than gas and to switch drivers along the way.

I'd immediately known that Mr. Ellison would not be making it to Faribault.

After thanking Jenks, I'd asked Emmett and Jasper to go hunting with me, and together, we'd come up with a decision. Only Alice knew what we were planning. I knew Bella wouldn't want me to do anything that would jeopardize the safety of myself or our family. I knew Rose would understand—and probably even support us—but I'd asked Emmett to keep it from her. I didn't want there to be any chance of Bella, Carlisle, or Esme finding out. If any of them learned of our plans, I knew they'd be disappointed in me. When I'd looked at Bella and thought of how she'd suffered, I'd known that was a risk I was willing to take.

I hadn't asked Jasper and Emmett to go with me—I was fully prepared to take him down myself—but both of them had expressed their displeasure that I was even considering doing this without them. They'd both formed close bonds with Bella and Lizzie, and I knew it was fruitless to try to talk them out of coming.

The problem had been finding an excuse for being gone for several days. It turned out not to be as big a problem as I'd anticipated, though. Emmett had whined that it'd been too long since just the three of us had gone on an extended hunting trip, so we'd told the rest of the family that we were heading up into Canada and would be gone for three days, maybe four. Of course, rather than going north, we'd gone southwest.

My phone vibrated, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I glanced down at the caller ID to see Alice's name flashing. As soon as I flipped it open, she spoke.

"They're right on schedule," she said without either of us bothering to say hello. "They'll be to you in two minutes."

"Thanks, Alice." I paused. "How are they?"

I missed both Bella and Lizzie something fierce and couldn't wait to get home.

"They're good," she answered. "Lizzie's tooth finally broke through the gum, so she's not as fussy."

I'd known that—Bella had already texted me a picture—but smiling briefly, I told her, "Give them both kisses for me."

"Will do. Be careful."

"Always am," I said, smirking when she laughed and hung up the phone. Putting it back in my pocket, I turned to the guys. "It's time."

Emmett clapped his hands together, grinning. "Stand back, boys. Let the master work."

Rolling our eyes, Jasper and I backed away. Emmett pushed at one of the large trees until it cracked near the base, and then he pushed once more and the tree toppled over. The loud noise of it crashing to the ground echoed through the night air, and we froze, listening to make sure it hadn't attracted any unwanted attention. When we heard nothing, Emmett walked over and picked up the fallen tree, taking it quickly out to the road.

Alice had seen this as the best way to make the prison transport van stop without endangering the lives of the guards inside.

Just over a minute later, the dark van with the Florida Department of Corrections decal on the side came rumbling around the curve on Interstate 380 that would merge it with Highway 20. We waited in the the darkness as its headlights bounced off the tree and the driver slammed on the brakes. I could hear their confusion, curiosity, and worry as they took in the sight of the large tree angled across the road, seemingly haphazardly.

"Now," I said to Jasper, who nodded.

He immediately pushed out waves of calm, giving the guards the impression that there was nothing to worry about. Then he began pushing out wave after wave of sleepiness. At first, the guards reacted by reaching for their radios or phones, but Jasper pushed harder, and before any of them could alert anyone of anything suspicious, we heard four distinct snores coming from the van.

According to Alice, we were clear for at least half an hour, but I didn't want to chance it. "Let's go," I said, taking off out of the trees at a jog.

Jasper continued to pump sleepy vibes at them. He and Emmett each took a guard in the front of the van. Rather than pulling the door off the hinges—I wanted to at least try to make this look like humans had done it—I waited until Emmett had reached in and unclipped the set of keys from the passenger's belt. He threw them to me, and I made quick work of the lock before throwing them back to Emmett, who tossed them onto the front floorboard.

Jumping up into the back of the van, I pulled one of the two pre-filled syringes from my pocket. Moving to the guard, I pulled his sleeve up, found a vein in his elbow, and carefully dosed the man with the sedative. In the front, Jasper and Emmett were doing the same to the other two guards. The drugs would put the men out for a while, freeing Jasper from having to push his gift. Once I'd rolled the guard's sleeve back down, I moved to the handcuffed Ellison.

I took a moment to study him, knowing Jasper wouldn't let up until I'd given him the okay.

The guy was young—maybe a couple of years older than Bella physically—and good-looking. His hair was brown, long enough to be falling into his eyes, and there was a small scar just past the hairline over his temple. His eyes were closed, but I knew from what Bella had told me that they were green, much like my own had been over a century ago.

Sneering, I kicked his foot with mine—not hard enough to break anything...yet—and called up to Jasper, "Go ahead, man. Wake this piece of shit up."

I knew the medicine would've had enough time to work on the guards, and even without Jasper's influence, they would be out.

As soon as the sleepy vibe was gone, Ellison jerked, his eyes opening as he sat up straight and looked around. He noticed the guard, sound asleep, his head back and snoring, and then he turned, seeing me less than two feet from him.

"What the hell?" he gasped. "Who the hell are you?

I grinned—an angry, smug smile, all teeth and curled lips—and answered, "My name's Edward Cullen." Moving at human speed, I stalked to his side and pulled out the second syringe, jabbing it into the muscle of his thigh. "But you can call me your worst nightmare."

Ellison was trembling now. His thoughts were a jumbled mix of anger and fear. He was trying to figure out why the guard was asleep, how I'd gotten inside the van, what I'd just given him—and he was scared to death that he was going to die.

"Oh yes," I said in answer to his last unspoken thought. "Slowly and painfully, if I have anything to do with it."

His heart raced for a moment, his breathing heavy, and he started trying to get up from his seat. The effects of the sedative combined with the shackles around his wrists kept him off balance, and he was unable to get higher than a couple of inches before he fell back, his head thumping roughly against the wall of the van.

"Whadju do t'me?" he slurred, shaking his head in an effort to clear it.

"Doesn't feel so good to be drugged against your will, does it?" I growled, trying to rein in my temper. I needed to keep my cool until we were clear.

"I don'know whachur talk'n 'bout." He shook his head again, his mouth opening once more, until finally, less than a minute after injection, his eyes and mouth closed as the sedative kicked in fully.

"I'll get him to the car," I said. "You guys finish up here."

I tossed the drugged, handcuffed Ellison over my shoulder and jumped out of the van, closing the door behind me.

As I walked with him to the car we'd hidden farther down the road, I could hear the crunch of the gravel as Jasper and Emmett pushed the van off the side of the road so anyone who happened to drive by wouldn't hit it. Before meeting me at the car, they would move the tree off the road as well, and then place an anonymous call to 9-1-1 on one of the guard's phones before wiping everything clear of any fingerprints and locking the doors behind themselves. We wanted the man who was hanging like a sack of potatoes over my shoulder to pay for what he'd done to Bella; the guards weren't involved, so we were doing everything we could to keep them safe until the police arrived. They hadn't seen our faces, thanks to Jasper's influence, and without any evidence, there would be nothing tying us to the crime scene. The only one who could possibly identify us was the man I was about to toss into the trunk of my Volvo, and soon, he would be in no condition to tell anyone anything.

Ever.

~*~FC~*~

Just over two hours later, I pulled the Volvo in through the big doors of the warehouse Jenks had acquired for us a few weeks earlier. We were on the outskirts of Chicago, in an area full of abandoned buildings much like this one. It'd once been a factory of some sort, but it'd closed down years ago and had been sitting empty since. Being out where we were, in the middle of the night, with no one around for miles...we were free to do whatever we needed to do.

Once the doors to the warehouse were locked up tight, I popped open the trunk. Ellison was still out, although from Alice's vision, I knew he'd be coming around shortly. I hauled him out of the car, smirking when his head bounced off the trunk lid. Emmett pulled out the folding chair we'd put in the trunk, set it up a ways from the car, and then backed out of my way so I could drop Ellison into the seat. Within a minute, he was secured to the chair with his hands cuffed behind his back and the shackles looped through the chair itself before locking around his wrists.

"That outta do it," Em said, kicking the leg of the chair hard enough to nearly knock it and its occupant over. "If he wanted to, he could get up and run, carrying the chair with him..." His muscles rolling underneath his T-shirt, as if preparing for a fight, he sneered. "I almost hope he does."

Half an hour later, Ellison started to stir. It took him another half hour to come fully out of it, and when he did, he panicked at the sight of us. I listened to his thoughts as he took us all in for the first time. We looked huge, menacing—especially terrifying because we seemed so casual, all leaning against the car, feet crossed at the ankles like we hadn't just kidnapped a man. Our eyes were all black—from anger, not from hunger—and the casual pose was totally negated by the feral looks on our faces.

Ellison tried to scramble out of his seat, succeeding only in tangling his feet with the legs of the chair and upending himself. His head hit the concrete floor with a loud crack, and he groaned.

"Maybe we won't have to do anything to him," Jasper said slyly, snickering a bit when Ellison's heart rate increased. "Maybe he'll do it for us."

I smirked and walked—or stalked, according to Ellison's thoughts—over to him and yanked him upright with one hand, setting the chair back on all four legs.

Before I could move away, Ellison made the mistake of kicking out at me, hoping to cause me some of the pain he'd felt when his head hit the floor. Unfortunately for him, his foot made contact with my shin, which didn't hurt me one bit, but from his howl of pain and the crunch of bone, I'd guess he'd broken his foot.

"Fucking shit!" he screamed. "You broke my foot, you motherfucker!"

I tsked, shaking my head at him. "Such foul language for such a young man."

"Who are you?" he growled. "What do you want with me?"

I stepped up until I was as close as I could get without touching him. "Do you remember the name Bella Swan?"

Ellison's eyes grew wide. His thoughts went crazy.

_What does that whore have anything to do with this? I thought I was done with her when I signed those fucking papers._

"She's not a whore," I growled, stepping up close enough now that he had to tilt his head back to look into my face. "Bella Swan is my fiancee. You will show her a little respect." I punctuated each of the last few words with a poke to his chest with my index finger, watching as he winced.

I was getting dangerously close to the edge, so giving him one last shove with my finger, I turned and moved back to stand in front of Emmett and Jasper. Keeping my back to Ellison let him know that I wasn't worried or interested in him in the least, while in truth, my mind was locked onto his as he spewed vile thoughts of Bella in his head.

_I don't see why this guy's so upset. So I popped his girl's cherry. She was begging for it, looking up at me with those big brown eyes. Maybe she didn't say the words, but she wanted it. They all do. My money, my name... She was just nervous because it was her first time. I could tell. That's why I gave her something to help her relax. Loosen her up a little. It's not the first time. She's just the first one to complain about it._

At Ellison's thoughts, I had to work to keep myself from going back over and showing my foot up his ass. My voice low, I said, "This guy is a piece of work."

Jasper nodded slowly. "I don't sense one bit of regret from him. He's feeling offended and angry..."

I clenched my teeth, working to keep myself in control. "He doesn't understand why he's in trouble over this again when he thinks he did nothing wrong."

Emmett's arms were folded across his chest, and he kept shooting Ellison dirty looks over my shoulder. Every time the other man caught sight of one, his heart would stutter, fear rolling off of him in waves. Even though he tried to cover it with bravado, his thoughts were giving him away.

Shit, that guy is huge. Maybe if I stare him down, he'll quit looking at me.

Smirking, I told Emmett, "He's scared of you, but the stupid son of a bitch thinks he can out-stare you."

Emmett curled his lip in disgust and glared even harder at the man cuffed to the chair.

Through his thoughts, I watched as Ellison shrank back, quickly averting his gaze.

Clapping Emmett's shoulder, I turned around and walked slowly across the space, giving Ellison plenty of time to watch me and wonder what I was going to do next.

"You're right," I said calmly, responding to his thoughts from a few moments before. "He is huge, isn't he?"

He looked frightened for a moment before he seemed to steel himself.

"He loves Isabella almost as much as I do. I think you owe him an apology. In fact, you owe _Bella_ an apology, but I'm not letting you anywhere near her, so you can apologize to him, and he'll pass it along to her."

Straightening his shoulders, Ellison's lips curled into a smirk for a moment. "Fuck an apology. That bitch is the reason I'm in prison."

There was a roar of anger over my shoulder, and I heard Jasper holding Emmett back from rushing the piece of shit in front of me. I didn't bother holding in my anger at his statement as my arm straightened and my fingers wrapped around his throat, cutting off his airway with a slight bit of pressure.

"Let's get something straight," I told him, my voice frighteningly calm. "You're in prison because you drugged an innocent girl and raped her."

Ellison was gasping for air, his feet kicking uselessly as I held him a few inches off the ground. When I finally let go, he crashed back to the floor, teetering dangerously for a moment as he caught his breath. He looked up at me, his eyes wide and terrified.

"Who are you? _What_ are you?"

"Guess he's got a short memory," I said over my shoulder to my brothers. I'd already introduced myself in the van, but apparently, the drugs and fear had made him forget.

Looking back at the pitiful excuse for a man in front of me, I answered, "My name is Edward Cullen, and I'm the man who is going to teach you not to mess with women, asshole."

Instead of looking more scared, I watched as a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

_Edward? Where have I heard that name?_ His thoughts were racing, trying to remember why he knew that name in relation to Bella.

It was like a light bulb went off above his head. "Edward... You're the guy she cried out for when I got her into my bed. She begged you to save her." He shook his head exaggeratedly as he thought, _What a shame. You couldn't save her. No one could._

I froze at the mention of Bella having begged me to save her. That was just one more failure I could put on my very long list, one that I would never be able to atone for. I hated the piece of scum in front of me more at that moment than I ever had before, because he'd told me something I knew Bella wouldn't have told me, even if she'd been able to remember it. She wouldn't have wanted me to know that she'd cried out for me, that I hadn't been there to save her when she'd begged me to.

Ellison's snort brought me back to the present. "The bitch was good at running her mouth, that's for sure. I should have made her put it to better—"

I didn't let him finish. With a roar, I swung my fist and hit him with a hard jab.

Ellison went flying, my hit knocking him and the chair back almost ten feet.

"Dude," Emmett said, coming up beside me to stare over at Ellison. "That was a damn hard hit. I think you killed him."

As Jasper moved to check on him, I tried to find it in me to care. The man was a vile, sick monster who'd shown no remorse whatsoever, who hadn't even thought he'd done anything wrong. Prison wasn't going to change his mind on that—in fact, I had no doubt that it would've just magnified those feelings of entitlement.

"Yeah, he's dead," Jasper confirmed, like we couldn't all hear the lack of a heartbeat. "Snapped his neck."

Sighing, I rubbed my face briskly before running my hand through my hair and tugging roughly. "Let's get him out of here."

Jasper and Emmett volunteered to put him in the trunk for me. We'd lined the trunk with new, generic plastic sheeting before making the trip west, so they wrapped him in one more sheet while I wiped away any evidence that we'd been there. Ellison had pissed his pants when I'd grabbed his throat, so I just kicked a bunch of dust and dirt over the small puddle. If the warehouse was ever investigated, it would just look like some homeless person had found their way inside and used it as a bathroom.

Taking a moment to make sure the coast was clear—it was still dark out, so there was little traffic—we finally got back on the road, heading back west. We were going to take Ellison's body to Yellow River State Forest in Iowa. It was far enough from Chicago to be safe, had no tie to Bella or our family, and was a good distance from the spot we'd yanked Ellison from the prison van—not too far, but not so close that the searching law enforcement would see us.

We'd thought about burying him out in the middle of nowhere, but if he was never found, I knew Bella would worry because he was missing. I also was smart enough to realize that when he did turn up dead right after our long hunting trip, she'd know exactly what had happened. It was a chance I was willing to take. After all, it was easier to ask forgiveness than it was to seek permission.

The four-hour drive—thanks to having to drive at a normal human speed off and on throughout the trip—from the spot we'd left Ellison to Rhinelander had been relatively quiet. Emmett and Jasper had known that I had a lot on my mind, so they'd pretty much let me be.

Turning down the long road that eventually led up to the house, I finally broke the silence. "Thanks, guys."

I felt a wave of acceptance and peace coming from Jasper in the back.

"We've got your back, man," Emmett said as he reached over and clapped my shoulder gently, giving it a squeeze of support.

No other words were necessary.

As we pulled up to the house, Bella, Alice, and Rose were all standing out on the porch. Bella had a squirming Lizzie in her arms, and I'd never seen a more beautiful sight than that of my two girls at that moment.

_Edward,_ Alice's thoughts broke in to my musings. _I'm sorry. I tried keeping it from her, but she knew something was up, and I finally broke and told her._

I made a decision to tell Alice later that it was all right and to thank her for her help.

A smile flitted across her face, and she nodded. _You're welcome._

Less than thirty seconds later, I had Bella and our daughter in my arms. Emmett and Jasper greeting their wives barely registered as I first kissed Lizzie's cheek, blowing a raspberry gently on the round softness, before turning to Bella.

"Forgive me?" I asked quietly, pressing my forehead to hers.

"Are you all right?" she countered.

I nodded slowly.

"Then there's nothing to forgive."

We stood there a moment, until Lizzie broke the peace by reaching up and yanking on my hair. "Dada! Up!"

I laughed and plucked her from Bella's arms, setting her on my shoulders. She hung on to my hair with both hands as Bella wrapped her arm around my waist, and we walked to the house together as a family.

It was good to be home.


	39. Outtake 4: Disney World

_A/N: This outtake takes place when Lizzie is five and a half, almost six, years old._

~*~FC~*~

**Outtake 4: Disney World  
>October 26, 2012<br>Bella's POV**

"I never thought I'd be happy about a hurricane in the Gulf," I muttered wryly as I watched Lizzie running around the hotel room.

Edward chuckled, shaking his head. "I know, but it really did work out perfectly."

Because of Hurricane Joan, the weather forecast combined with our personal psychic predicted that Orlando was going to be overcast for several days, so the whole family had decided to take advantage and visit Disney World with Lizzie. It wasn't something I ever thought I'd be able to see with my daughter—if anything, I figured Grandpa Charlie or one of our wolfy friends would have to take her. But this was so much better.

"They're ready," Edward said, grinning, just before there was a knock on the door.

"Let's go, guys," Alice called through the door. "Magic Kingdom waits for no man—or little girl."

I laughed when Edward scooped Lizzie up as she ran by him. She squealed when he held her upside down by her ankles, gently lowering her until her hands were flat on the floor, like she was doing a handstand.

"Okay, Lizzie-bear. Walk," he teased, slowly moving forward as she walked on her hands.

"Daddy!" She laughed as he got a little faster. "Daddy, stop!"

Shaking my head as he pulled her up and nuzzled her neck, tickling her belly, I made my way to the door, camera in hand. "Come on, you two," I said. "Let's go meet the princesses."

Lizzie squealed again, wiggling to get down. Once she was on her feet, she bounced up and down in place, clapping her hands excitedly. "Snow White and Cindewella?"

Alice grinned as I opened the door to the room, saying in answer, "Yeah, baby girl. Snow White and Cinderella."

Lizzie took her hand, and the two skipped down the hall ahead of us as Jasper, Edward, and I followed, smiling at the two of them.

"Happy, love?" Edward asked as we caught up to them at the elevator.

Nodding, I smiled. "Beyond happy."

He pulled me to him and pressed a kiss to the top of my head as we waited for the doors to open.

When we got down to the lobby, everyone else was gathered in the lobby. Besides the other Cullens, Charlie, Sue, Jake, and Seth were all looking nearly as excited as Lizzie.

"There's Lizzie-bear," Charlie said, reaching for her. He smiled when she jumped into his arms. "How's my girl?"

As he and Lizzie chatted back and forth, I turned to the others. "Anyone need anything to eat or drink before we head out? Bathroom?"

"No, Mom, we're good," Jake said with a snort.

I rolled my eyes playfully at his smirk before turning to the others.

"I could go for something to drink," Emmett said, eying Seth. "You wanna volunteer?"

Rose smacked the back of his head before I could. "Jesus, Emmett," she growled low enough for our ears only. "You'll scare the crap out of Sue and Charlie with that shit."

Emmett just laughed, winking at Seth, who was nearly on the floor, he was laughing so hard.

Sue and Charlie, who hadn't heard Emmett's comment, just looked on with amusement.

"No, really, Bells," Jake said, snickering. "We met a few minutes early down here and grabbed breakfast, so we're all good to go. Did Lizzie eat?"

I nodded. "Room service." Looking over at my daughter and her grandfathers—Carlisle had made his way to them and was laughing at something Lizzie was saying—I smiled. "Okay," I called just loud enough for everyone to hear. "Let's boogie!"

"Awe we widin' the twain?" Lizzie asked excitedly as we stepped up to the line to get on the monorail that went through the hotel—the one that would take us directly to the Magic Kingdom, which was our first stop.

"We are," Charlie answered, smiling when she squealed again.

"Down, Poppa! Pwease!"

Charlie put her down, but kept ahold of her hand. "Hold my hand, baby girl."

Lizzie stayed close to him as we stepped onto the monorail, her eyes wide. She didn't move from there the entire ride into the Magic Kingdom. Her head was nearly on a swivel, taking it all in—the people, the noise, the lights—and I thought she looked just like Alice when she got excited about something.

By the time we climbed off the monorail just outside the entrance to the park, her excitement had spread, and everyone was almost as excited as she was.

Looking at Edward, I said, "You're up, Daddy. Lead the way."

Edward, who'd spent hours scouring websites to find the best rides for children Lizzie's age, grinned and stepped forward. "Okay, everybody, listen up. Here's what we're gonna do..."

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Edward's POV**

Lizzie was wide-eyed the entire walk through the Magic Kingdom. Fantasyland, our destination, was all the way at the back, so there was a lot to see between the entrance and Cinderella's castle. Our first stop was Peter Pan's Flight. Lizzie had just watched "Peter Pan" for the first time recently, so she was excited about flying like Wendy.

"Poppa, Gwandpa, come wif us!" Lizzie begged Charlie and Carlisle.

"Lizzie, remember, only two people can sit together," Bella reminded the overly excited little girl.

Lizzie nodded, pointing to her grandfathers. "He wide wif him."

Carlisle chuckled. "You want me to ride with Poppa, princess?"

Lizzie nodded again.

Charlie laughed. "You and me, I guess," he told Carlisle. "Lizzie-bear, who's your daddy gonna ride with?"

With her hand on her chin, as if she was deep in thought, Lizzie finally pointed to Emmett. "Unca Emmett and Daddy. Mommy will wide wif me."

Everyone else stayed behind as the six of us, much to Emmett's...non-excitement, lined up to ride the incredibly low-tech ride.

"Damn, this is boring," Emmett whined quietly as we "floated" above London.

I chuckled and tilted my head forward. "Yeah, but listen..."

Lizzie and Bella were pointing out sights from the movie—London bridge, mermaids, Hook's pirate ship, the crocodile, and more. Lizzie was so excited as she saw things she recognized.

Laughing, Emmett nodded. "Yeah, worth the price of admission, I suppose."

When we finally piled off the ride, Lizzie was all sorts of talkative. She regaled the rest of the group about everything, including seeing Peter and Wendy on the big boat.

She continued to talk through Prince Charming's Regal Carrousel, proudly choosing the horse covered in gold for herself before pointing out the horses everyone else should sit on.

From there, we went to the Winnie the Pooh attraction, which was indoors. I was nervous about letting Lizzie run around looking at all the little activities, but Bella reassured me she would be fine.

"Edward, there are a dozen of us here to keep an eye on her. You can hear her mind and see her through the minds of everyone else. Relax. Have fun," she murmured softly, slipping her arm through mine as we watched Lizzie beat on the "drums."

When it came time for us to hop on the ride portion of the attraction, Lizzie grabbed Bella's and my hands, pulling us with her. She oohed and ahhed throughout the entire thing, even when it was quite dark for human eyes.

Finally, we stepped back out into the fresh air, and everyone looked at me to see where we should go next.

"How about the Mad Tea Party?" I suggested, rolling my eyes at Emmett's thoughts.

_I wonder if I can spin that fast enough to make it fly off the floor..._

"I'm sitting this one out," Charlie said, shaking his head. "It's all you kids."

Sue agreed, and the two of them, followed by Carlisle and Esme, headed to the other side to watch as the rest of us lined up behind a bouncy Lizzie.

As we started to scatter to find teacups, I warned Emmett to remember the audience, giving the other humans around us a quick nod.

_Fine. You're no fun,_ he grumped in his head, but then he started thinking of how fast he could go before it was too fast.

Ignoring him and figuring Rose would keep him under control, I climbed into a pink teacup with Lizzie and Bella.

"You going to spin this one, baby girl?" I asked, settling her between us.

"You help, Daddy," Lizzie implored, struggling to turn the wheel in the center.

I chuckled, nodding, and gripped the wheel with her. As soon as the music started playing and the teacups started moving, Lizzie and I began turning the wheel, spinning our teacup slowly.

"Fasteh!" Lizzie begged, trying to turn it harder.

I put a little more push into it, and we spun fast enough that Lizzie squealed, laughing.

By the time we finished, she looked dizzy, but she was laughing and trying to run over to her grandparents to tell them all about it.

After the teacups, we went to the ride Bella was most looking forward to because it was one of the most famous rides for kids at the park.

Watching our daughter enjoy Dumbo: The Flying Elephant with Bella was amazing. At first, Lizzie held on tight to the bar in front of her and to Bella's hand, but as the ride continued and Bella started pointing out all of us below and different rides in the distance, she began to relax and enjoy herself. By the time the ride wound down, she was bouncing up and down for more.

Bella convinced her there was more to ride, but that we'd come back later to ride Dumbo again, and Lizzie accepted that with a nod, asking where we were going next just as they walked out to meet me.

"Yo, Edward," Seth said as he stepped up beside me. "How about some lunch, man? Some of us have to eat."

He laughed when I elbowed him playfully.

"Yeah! Lunch," Lizzie agree, wrapping her arms around Seth's legs and stepping up onto his feet. "Cawwy me to lunch, Sef!"

Seth scooped her up. "Where are we eating?" he asked, looking at the map Bella was holding.

"Hey, little one," Emmett said, ruffling Lizzie's hair. "You get lunch with your mom and dad and everyone, while I go ride some rides with Uncle Jasper. Then we can ride some more rides together after you eat, okay?"

Lizzie nodded. "'Kay, Unca Emmett. Have fun." She beamed as he winked at her, holding his hand up for a high five. She slapped his hand and then watched as Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper took off.

_Edward, we'll meet you guys at Monsters Inc in an hour and a half,_ Alice thought to me as they walked away.

"Is Pinocchio Village Haus okay with everyone for lunch? It should be perfect for all of us," I told the group.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Bella's POV**

When Edward suggested the place for lunch, we all agreed, so we walked back by the spinning teacups, then Winnie the Pooh, and finally the carousel before getting to the quaint little restaurant made to look like it came straight from Pinocchio's world.

"Before we go in, Lizzie, come with me." Lizzie hadn't been to the bathroom since before we left the hotel, and I was surprised she hadn't asked to go yet. "We'll meet you guys inside the restraunt."

I helped Lizzie get situated on the toilet, and once she'd done what she needed to do, we washed our hands well in the sink.

"Ready for lunch, baby girl?"

"Mmm, my tummy's gwowling like a beaw, Mommy!"

I laughed and took her hand as we exited the restrooms.

"There you are," Edward said, pulling himself away from the wall and smiling as Lizzie ran to him. He picked her up in one arm and held out his other hand to me.

Inside the restaurant, it was counter service with indoor seating, so we all got in line. Luckily, it wasn't any busier than the attractions had been all morning because of the weather and time of year that we'd come.

Edward was busy telling Lizzie what she could choose from for lunch, and when we got up to the counter, Lizzie ordered for herself.

"Psgetti and meatbaws, pwease," she told the older woman behind the register. "Wif milk."

"Of course, sweetie." The woman smiled at Lizzie and pushed a couple of buttons on the register. Then she turned to Edward and me. "And for you two young people?"

"Nothing for us, thank you," Edward said smoothly, flashing his charming crooked smile.

The woman's heart fluttered once, and she smiled before turning back to the register to give us our total.

"Actually, I'll wait to pay. Add the rest of this group onto my ticket, please," Edward said, raising an eyebrow when Charlie, Jake, Seth, and Sue protested. When he wouldn't budge, they placed their orders, and then he slid a card to the woman, who rang up the total.

Once everyone had their food, we walked through the dining room, which was only about three-quarters of the way full, and found a group of seats large enough to fit all nine of us.

As Lizzie ate her spaghetti and meatballs, grapes, and yogurt, she talked about everything she'd seen and done so far. By the time she finished her milk, she was yawning. Everyone else was finished eating, so I looked at Edward.

"How about we save Monsters Inc and go straight back to the hotel?"

He chuckled, nodding. "Sounds good. I think the others may stay out longer, but I'm all for going back and letting her nap."

"I believe we'll head back with you guys," my dad said, tilting his head at Sue, who was nodding.

Carlisle and Esme nodded as well, but Jake and Seth both spoke at the same time.

"Not me!" they echoed one another, making us laugh.

"I wanna ride Space Mountain," Seth said.

Jake grinned. "Me, too. And the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror."

I snorted at the thought of the two guys who could shift into werewolves and had fought vampires looking forward to "scary" thrill rides.

"Okay, time to head off if we want to meet the others," Edward said, gathering up Lizzie's trash.

"Cawwy me?" Lizzie asked with another yawn.

I smiled and picked her up, putting her on my hip. When Edward joined us again, I said, "Call Alice and tell her we're heading back to the hotel and that she should get in touch with Jake and Seth, who want to hang out."

I knew she couldn't see any decisions we made because of the wolves, so he would have to actually tell her.

"Hey, Alice," he said into the phone. "Lizzie's done for now. We're gonna head back to the hotel with all the grandparents. Jake and Seth want to know where to meet you guys."

"_Tell them Space Mountain,"_ Alice said. _"And give Lizzie-bear a hug and kiss from Auntie Alice."_

He chuckled. "Will do," he told her, hanging up and sliding his phone back into his pocket.

"You heard?" he asked Jake and Seth, who nodded.

"We'll see you guys later," Jake said.

They both dropped a kiss onto the top of Lizzie's head and then hurried out.

When we got near the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, I remembered that Lizzie wanted to meet the princesses.

"How about we stop in here and see if there are any princesses to meet? Would you like that, baby?" I asked the little girl who was valiantly trying to stay awake.

"Oooh, yeah!" She clapped, completely awake for the moment.

As soon as we walked into the Town Square Theater, Lizzie pushed herself out of my arms and down to her feet.

"Mickey!" she squealed, taking off as fast as her little legs would carry her.

The oversized Mickey Mouse was waving at her, patting her head with his large, padded hands.

Raising the camera, I snapped a few pictures. Lizzie was telling Mickey about riding on Dumbo and the teacups, but that now, she wanted to see Snow White and Cinderella. By the time she finished, out walked Snow White, Cinderella, Belle...and Aurora, I believed.

"Pwincesses, Mommy!" she squealed again. She was so adorable, running over to them. "I'm a pwincess, too," she told them. "Pwincess Ewizabeth. Unca Emmett says so."

The princesses fawned all over her, telling her she made a beautiful princess, and Lizzie just ate up every bit of attention. I took more pictures of her with the characters than I had so far at the park.

Finally, she was yawning more than not, and other families were beginning to come in, so I told her, "Say goodbye, Lizzie-bear."

"Bye, pwetty pwincesses!" She blew them each a kiss and then ran back to us, holding her arms up to Edward. "Up, Daddy," she told him, yawning again.

Edward scooped her up and carried her out, and by the time we stepped onto the monorail that would take us back to the hotel, she was asleep on his shoulder.

"Ahh, to be five years old again," I murmured, brushing her hair back away from her face.

Lizzie snuggled into Edward's neck, her little hand fisting his shirt, and let out a little sigh.

It was the perfect end to a fantastic day.


	40. Outtake 5: Lizzie's Life

_A/N #1: Yes, it's a final outtake (you'll see WHY it's a final one as you read... ;) ) for Full Circle! This was written for the Fandoms4Animals compilation, and we were released to post them this weekend, so if you didn't donate and get that, you can check my contribution out now. This starts out about five years after the previous outtake (the family trip to Disney World) and lasts...well, until Lizzie is twenty. So a while. ;) Big news at the bottom, but I'll let you get to it. :)_

~*~FC~*~

**Outtake 5: Lizzie's Life  
>Lizzie Age 9<br>Edward's POV**

"Lizzie-bear, you ready to go, baby?" Bella asked our daughter, who was putting her cup back in the kitchen after lunch.

"Yep! Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose are takin' me, right?"

I pulled her in for a kiss to the top of her head as she walked by the couch. "Yeah, they're waiting in the car for you, sweetheart. Have fun at gymnastics today, okay?"

Lizzie wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed as hard as her human little body could. "I will, Daddy. Will you be here when we get home?"

"Of course," I scoffed, pretending to roll my eyes until she giggled.

"'Kay."

With one last hug around Bella's waist, Lizzie raced out the door, grabbing her gym bag on her way out. "Bye, Momma!"

Bella laughed softly as she dropped onto the sofa beside me. "I don't remember ever having that much energy when I was her age. It's a good thing we don't get tired."

Grinning, I tugged her onto my lap. "So you aren't too tired to enjoy the fact that we're now home alone?"

I chuckled when her butterscotch eyes turned a warm honey as she leaned down, dropping her forehead to my shoulder and turning to press soft kisses to my neck.

Time alone had become something of a precious commodity for us both. We'd been living in Toronto, Canada, for the last three years after spending almost six years in Wisconsin. With Bella being a newborn and Lizzie being too young to really have to take her out in public for a while, we'd been able to stay for longer there than we might've otherwise. By the end, though, Carlisle was trying to pass as thirty-one, which was pushing it. So when Lizzie was six, we'd moved north.

Lizzie was thriving here in Canada. We were educating her at home, but we belonged to a group of homeschooling families that had regular meet-ups. In addition to those, she'd been enrolled in a variety of extracurricular activities: gymnastics, an art class at the community center, ballet lessons, and karate—all of which had been her choice. The family simply reveled in her humanity and in watching her enjoyment of each and everything she did.

Because of that, because of how much each and every member of the family loved that little girl, we all still lived together in one big house everywhere we moved. Most of the time, that was a good thing—Lizzie never lacked for someone to hang out with, to read her stories or brush her hair, fix her meals, and whatever else she needed—but it also meant the only time Bella and I got to be alone was when we went out hunting. So we took advantage of it when the rest of the family was hunting and she wanted someone else to take her to wherever she needed to go.

Bella's teeth scraping across my Adam's apple pulled me from my thoughts and brought me right back to the present...to her deliberately shifting on my lap to bring her more in contact with my erection, to her fingers stroking the back of my neck and tugging gently at the hair there, to her breasts pressed against my chest.

"You better hold on tight, spider monkey," I purred, and with no more warning, I leapt to my feet and flew up the stairs with Bella hanging on and laughing the entire way.

~*~FC~*~

"God, Edward," Bella moaned—loudly—as I slid my finger over her slick skin. "Right there."

My fingers tightened on her hip as my other hand continued to move. I watched as her eyes closed and she looked beyond beautiful in her pleasure.

When I touched her just right, she came hard around me, her muscles all locking for a moment as her orgasm literally took her breath away. With a grunting cry of my own, I followed her over edge.

"I love having the house to ourselves," she said with a chuckle when she could finally speak again.

I dropped down beside her, pulling her into my side with a grin. "Mmhmm, I agree."

Bella's phone beeped with a text message alert, and with a huff, she reached across me to grab it from the nightstand. Swiping her thumb over the screen to turn it on, she brought up the message and held up the phone so we both could see it.

_Get dressed, parental units. Plans changed. No park after class, so will be home in twenty._

"What? Why?" Bella glared at the phone. "That was not enough information. What if something happ—"

I silenced her with a kiss before mumbling against her lips, "I'm sure Rose would've said something if there was a problem, love. Probably just the sun peeking out or something. So don't worry until there's something to worry about."

Bella nodded, giving me a sigh. "I'm sure you're right. It's hard to not worry, ya know?"

I did know. Having a child was hard on any parent, but for immortals who knew just how fragile human life was, it was even harder having a mortal, human daughter.

"I know. But Rose and Emmett are with her, and they won't let anything happen to her."

Smiling, Bella said, "That's true. If there's anyone she has wrapped around her finger more than her daddy, it's her Uncle Emmett." She snickered and kissed me before rolling out from under me and hopping lithely to her feet. "Well, come on, then. Let's get ready to find out what's so important that they had to rush home after gymnastics."

Nearly twenty minutes later to the minute, three minds hit me at once.

_I hope Daddy lets me keep it!_

_She's so cute with that puppy. It'll be good for her to have a pet._

_I can't believe that dog's not scared of us! Maybe if I growl and show my teeth... Ow! Okay, so it was mean. Rose didn't have to hit me!_

I laughed, smiling when Bella looked my way with a raised eyebrow. "They're almost here. Apparently..." I paused, drawing out the suspense until she raised the other brow, not looking as amused. "Apparently our daughter found a puppy and is bringing it home."

My wife looked confused. "But I thought...I mean, animals don't..." She shook her head. "Huh?"

Chuckling, I nodded. "Lizzie's found the one dog that isn't afraid of vampires—and if Emmett can't scare it off, then none of the rest of us should be able to."

When Rose's BMW pulled into the long drive a couple of minutes later, I took Bella's hand, and we walked out to the front porch. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her close, kissing the top of her head when she rested it against my chest.

Lizzie's thoughts had already turned to begging.

_Please, Daddy! You have to see him. He's soooo cute! He's not scared of vampires! He loves me already. He licked my face and everything. Okay, that was kinda gross. Aunt Rose said that was his kiss so he must really like me. Please let me keep him!_

I chuckled, shaking my head as the car finally came into view. "She's already begging."

"Does she really think we'll say no?" Bella paused and looked up at me, brows furrowed. "We _won't_ say no, right?"

"No, love," I answered, shaking my head. "I can't think of any reason why we would. Can you?"

Bella shook her head once and then turned back to where Rose was parking in front of the garage.

Rose looked at me as she climbed out of the car, thinking, _Edward, you won't say no, will you? She's so excited..._

In a voice too fast for Lizzie's human ears to hear, I said, "No, of course not." Sighing, I looked at Bella. "Why does everyone think I'm gonna say no?"

She smirked, shrugging, never once looking away from the car, where Lizzie was slowly climbing out as Emmett held the door open for her.

Emmett glanced over at me and rolled his eyes. _Maybe 'cause you're kind of a stick-in-the-mud about some things?_

Shutting out Emmett and Rose as much as possible in my head, I concentrated instead on Lizzie as she walked up the path to the house. Cradled in her arms was the puppy in question. From the look of him, he was a few months old, an Australian Shepherd-Retriever mix—maybe a golden or lab—brown and tan, with black around his muzzle. He was thin and dirty, like he'd been out on the streets for a while, but he seemed healthy otherwise. He was looking around at the strange surroundings, but seemed utterly calm and happy being carried in Lizzie's embrace.

I kept my face neutral as she got up to me, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what to say.

"What d'ya have there, Lizzie-bear?" Bella asked softly, crouching down on her heels so she was eye level with the little girl, who hadn't yet ascended the porch steps.

"I found 'im," Lizzie answered just as quietly, tilting her head when the puppy looked up and nudged at her cheek with his nose.

"Yeah?" Bella asked, settling down onto the top step.

Lizzie nodded and looked up at me. "Daddy, can I keep 'im? He likes Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose, and see, he isn't scared-a you or Momma," she rushed to explain.

Unable to stop myself, I sighed and said, "I dunno, baby girl. Having a dog is a big responsibility."

She nodded, her eyes wide. "I'll feed 'im, and walk 'im, and take care-a him. I promise!"

"They cost a lot of money, Lizzie," I continued, ignoring the glares and internal argument to stop teasing her from Rose and Emmett's clear amusement from behind her.

Lizzie was quiet for a moment and then said, "You wouldn't hafta pay me an allowance anymore." When I didn't say anything, she spoke again. "I could...I could get a job, Daddy. I could pay for 'im." Her eyes widened and began to fill with tears as her arms tightened just a touch around the dog.

My still heart flopped in my chest. I'd never been able to stand it when she cried. It was my kryptonite. If I'd really been waffling on whether or not she could keep the dog, the sight of her tears would've done me in. Immediately, I quit playing around and sat down on the step beside Bella, softening my gaze.

"Baby, I'm just teasing you. Don't cry, Lizzie-bear. Come here," I urged her when she sniffled.

"Really? I can keep 'im?" she asked as she stepped up to us.

"Yeah, sweetheart," I assured her, smiling when she squeezed the dog and bounced on her toes a few times.

"Thank you, Daddy! Thank you, Momma!" Turning, she spied Rose and Emmett, who were walking up to the house finally. "Didja hear? They said I could keep 'im!"

"We heard, honey," Rose said, smiling softly at her. "Tell your dad that since he teased you, he gets to help you give him a bath."

I groaned playfully as Lizzie turned back around, a grin splitting her face almost in two. "Really?"

Giggling, Lizzie nodded. "Yes, please."

Bella reached out and stroked the top of the dog's head, scratching him behind his ears. "It does only seem fair," she said to me, barely able to contain her amusement.

With a put-upon sigh, I put my hand out, letting the puppy sniff my fingers, smiling when it started lapping at my hand. "Well, I suppose if I must, I must." Standing, I said, "Come on, baby girl. Let's go get this mutt clean so he doesn't track all that dirt into Nana Esme's clean house, huh?"

Lizzie grinned, nodding, and carefully climbed the steps.

An hour and one dirty bathtub later, we had a clean puppy, who Bella was watching while Lizzie and I both changed clothes, since we'd both gotten splashed during the bath and she'd been dirty anyway from holding the dog. As I pulled my new T-shirt over my head, I heard the rest of the family come into range, Alice's thoughts alerting me to the fact that they'd all be home in ten minutes.

I stopped at Lizzie's door on my way to the stairs. Knocking softly, I said, "The rest of the family should be here soon, Lizzie."

"Okay, Daddy. Wait for me! I'm almost dressed."

Smiling, I said, "Okay."

Crossing to the opposite wall, I leaned back against it and folded my arms across my chest, waiting for her to come out of her room. I heard her scurrying around, opening and closing drawers, until she finally pulled open the door. She'd changed into some shorts and a clean T-shirt before pulling her hair up in a quick ponytail.

I stood and reached out, tugging on it gently. "Ready?"

When I turned and squatted, she hopped on my back. "Ready!"

Laughing, I carried her downstairs to the living room, setting her on her feet in the entry when the puppy gave a bark and came bounding over to her. I sat down beside Bella, pulling her into my side and pressing a kiss to her temple.

She settled onto the floor and began petting, rubbing the belly when the dog flipped over.

We all—minus Lizzie—heard the others enter the house before they came slowly into the room.

All of us kind of held our breath as we waited to see what the dog's reaction would be to adding four more vampires to the mix, bringing the total to eight.

The puppy stood, yipped once, and then cautiously sniffed the air, looking around the room before lying down in front of Lizzie.

"Huh," Carlisle said almost under his breath. _If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes..._

I chuckled. "Strange, isn't it?" I asked so Lizzie couldn't hear.

He nodded his agreement as everyone settled in around the room, watching Lizzie with the dog.

I said, "Tell Momma what we figured out."

"Oh yeah! Guess what?" Lizzie said to Bella and the others.

"What, baby?" Bella asked, smiling.

"He's not a he," she answered with a giggle. "The dog's a girl!"

Bella laughed, looking over at Emmett and Rose, who simply shrugged.

"We didn't wanna go looking at his—her—uh, private areas," Emmett said, grinning when Rose snorted.

Turning back to Lizzie, Bella asked, "So whatcha wanna name her?"

After a moment's thought, much to my amusement, Lizzie announced. "Gem."

Emmett let out a quiet laugh. "Jim?" he asked. "I thought you said it was a girl."

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Not like that! G-E-M," she spelled out.

"Why Gem, honey?" Rose asked, ignoring her husband.

"'Cause I found her after _gym_nastics, but I don't wanna name her G-Y-M."

Everybody chuckled, nodding, and I couldn't help but smile when Lizzie looked over at me, her mind hoping for my approval.

"It's perfect, baby girl."

She smiled a brilliant smile and laughed as the dog—Gem—yipped again, as if in approval.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Lizzie Age 15  
>Bella's POV<strong>

"No way," Edward grumbled, shaking his head. "There's no way I'm letting my baby go to some dance with some...boy."

"Edward," I sighed, moving up behind him and running my hand up the smooth, warm skin of his back soothingly. "She's not a baby anymore. She's fifteen. And he's not _some_ boy. You know Matthew. He's a perfectly nice boy. He comes from a good family."

"He's still a teenage boy," he huffed. "And believe me, Bella. Teenage boys in Portland in this day and age are no different than they were in Chicago when I was seventeen."

I couldn't help it. A giggle slipped past my lips as I struggled to contain my amusement.

"And yes," he snapped. "I know I'm still only seventeen. So that should tell you that I understand how teenage boys think."

I snorted, shaking my head, and with a gentle push to his shoulder, forced him to turn to face me. "Edward, Matthew's only fifteen. He's not seventeen." I raised an eyebrow when he opened his mouth. Once he'd closed it, nodding at me to go on, I said, "It's the Hood River County dance at the community center, not a _Girls Gone Wild_ video shoot."

"I know, but it's her _first one,_ Bella." He looked pained as he closed his eyes and gripped his hair.

He was right. This would be the first dance Lizzie had ever been to—her first date, she'd announced excitedly to me when she came home from the get-together with the rest of her homeschooling group. There'd been a dance a year earlier, our first year in Hood River, but she'd had a cold, so we'd all stayed home.

"She's growing up," I said sadly, my mind flashing through memories of her childhood, all the way from birth. "We can't stop that, as much as we'd like her to remain that same little girl who called you daddy and clung to your back for trips down the stairs—and that's not a bad thing, Edward. Truly."

He sighed and wrapped his arms around me, holding me close and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "I know, I know. I just... I didn't think it would be this hard to watch her take these steps away from us."

I nodded against his chest, letting my hug do the consoling.

"Would it help if we went to the dance too?" I asked.

"Would you do that?" Edward pulled away and looked down at me with a warm gaze. "I know you don't like dancing..."

"It's better now that I'm not worried about tripping over my own feet," I admitted with a chuckle.

He laughed and pulled me back against his chest, swaying us to whatever melody he was hearing in his head. "Then yes, it would make me feel better if we were there."

~*~FC~*~

A week after we'd given our permission for Lizzie to attend the dance, she came padding into the living room in her sock feet, with Gem at her heels. Since Lizzie had brought her home, the dog had never strayed very far from her. She slept on Lizzie's bed, sat at her feet at the dinner table, and watched from the front porch anytime she left the house.

I knew what she planned to ask, so I closed my book and sat back to wait.

"Daddy?" she asked quietly.

Edward looked up from the video game he was playing with Emmett, his face softening. "Yeah, baby girl?"

"I...I need some help."

He nodded slowly, a grimace flashing across his face faster than Lizzie could see it before he smiled. "You need help learning to dance?"

"Yeah... Mom said you knew how...that you took her to prom in high school and danced there."

Edward smiled, looking over at me. "And at our wedding, yes."

"I don't think there'll be any like...really fancy dances or anything like that, but the most I know how to do is sway back and forth, which is good for little kids." She made a face. "Matthew said they usually have some square dancing, some Texas two-step, and even a few waltzes for the older crowd."

Tossing the controller down next to Emmett, he said, "Of course, Lizzie-bear—although you should ask Uncle Jasper and Aunt Ali about the two-step. They've been doing that one for years."

Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone just as Alice buzzed into the room, waving her iPod and portable speaker.

"Don't bother," she said. "I've got what you need." She winked at me as she moved over to sit on the floor beside my chair. Leaning over against my leg, she murmured, "Watch this."

I snapped my fingers and made a kissing noise, and Gem, who'd followed Lizzie downstairs, came and lay down beside my chair, resting her head on her front paws as she watched the action across the room.

Edward bowed to Lizzie, holding out his hand. "May I have this dance, m'lady?"

Lizzie rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide her smile as she placed her hand in Edward's.

We watched as Edward moved her free hand to his right shoulder before placing his on her waist.

"Follow my lead," he said. "Start off with a small step back with your right foot, then back with your left, and finally left one step."

Lizzie looked nervous as she nodded.

Edward glanced at Alice, who clicked the button to start the music.

"Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole started moments later, and Edward smiled down at Lizzie.

"Ready?" he asked, and at her nod, he stepped forward in time to the music.

It took a few minutes for her to get the steps down, but soon, she was following along with Edward as he glided her around the hardwood floors of the living room, avoiding the furniture and the rest of the family, who'd all come in to watch the show.

My heart was overflowing as I watched him lead her through one song to another. She was growing up so fast. It seemed like just yesterday, the nurse placed the crying, red-faced newborn in my arms, and now, she was learning how to dance for her first date.

They danced through almost ten songs—moving from the waltz to simply Edward teaching her how to follow along with her partner—before Lizzie finally pulled away.

"I think I've got it now," she said with a smile. Throwing her arms around him, she mumbled into his chest, "Thanks, Dad."

Edward kissed the top of her head and said, "You're welcome, sweetheart."

As she turned to Jasper to ask about the two-step, I stood and held my hand out to Edward.

He didn't question it when I motioned to the back door, taking my hand and following me outside without a word.

~*~FC~*~

The night of the dance, we all got dressed and ready to go and were waiting downstairs for Matthew to arrive. Edward had tried to insist that we would drive the two of them to the dance, but Lizzie had balked, begging me to help convince him to let Matthew's mom take them like he'd arranged. I'd gotten Edward to agree, but only if Matthew came inside when he picked her up so we could get some pictures. Red-faced, Lizzie had reluctantly agreed.

When the knock sounded on the door, Edward's hands clenched into fists.

"Go answer the door while I get Lizzie," I told him, piercing him with a look. "And be nice. No scaring the human boy, Daddy."

He sighed, nodding, as I moved away.

Once upstairs, I knocked softly at Lizzie's bedroom door. "Sweetie? Matthew's here. You ready?"

Lizzie opened the door and twirled. "How do I look?"

We'd bought her a new sundress just for the dance. She looked beautiful, and I told her so.

"Now come on," I said. "Your dad's probably scaring the poor boy to death down there."

That got her moving, and we hurried down the stairs to find Matthew sitting on the couch, with Edward, Emmett, and Jasper all close by. Edward was sitting across from him in one of the chairs, looking deceptively casual. I could tell from his posture that he wasn't truly relaxed at all, though. Emmett and Jasper were leaning against the wall across from the couch, on either side of the TV, arms crossed and serious expressions on their faces. Matthew, although obviously nervous, was trying very hard to stand up to their scrutiny.

"Wow," he said, smiling and standing as Lizzie walked into the room. "Liz, you look really pretty." He smiled over at me. "Hi, Bella. It's good to see you again."

"Hey, Matthew. You, too," I said. "Can we get some pictures? Carlisle's working, so he made me promise to get some for him."

"Yeah, sure," he agreed easily.

The rest of the family—minus Carlisle—came into the living room, dressed and ready to go. Esme handed me the camera.

"Here ya go, Bella."

I murmured my thanks and directed Lizzie and Matthew to stand in front of the fireplace, snapping off several shots.

"I think that'll do it," I finally said. "You guys have fun, and we'll see you there in a few minutes at the community center."

Lizzie nodded and followed Matthew to the door. He held it open for her and then stepped through behind her, gently closing the door behind them.

"I don't like that kid," Edward grumbled.

Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "Why? What was he thinking?" I wondered if I needed to be worried.

"Nothing I could kill him for...unfortunately." The last word was muttered under his breath, like he'd not really meant to say it aloud.

"If it helps, I didn't pick up anything...untoward from him," Jasper said, moving over and clapping Edward on the shoulder. "A touch of shyness, some uneasiness once we were all in the room, but there was nothing but respect with a little attraction whenever he looked at Lizzie."

Edward's shoulders dropped and he sighed. "I don't like having to play the brother-in-law," he mumbled.

"I know," I said, running my fingers through his hair and scratching his scalp lightly. "I don't like having to play her big sister, either, but..." I shrugged.

That was the story we'd gone with when we'd started over in the small town of Hood River, Oregon, about an hour east of Portland. I was Lizzie's older sister, and Edward was my husband. Our parents had died when I was eighteen, and I'd gotten custody of my little sister, who was only thirteen at the time. Edward's brother and sister, Emmett and Alice, were married to Rose and Jasper, while his cousin, Esme, was married to Carlisle. The story worked, but neither Edward nor I were happy about not being able to be Lizzie's parents in public.

Emmett said, "Let's go already. You guys may trust that pipsqueak, but I don't. I want them where I can keep an eye on him."

Rose just rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she looped her arm through his and let him lead her from the room to the garage.

One by one, the family left the house, until Edward and I were the last to pull away in his car.

When we pulled up to the community center a few minutes later, I asked, "You ready, Dad? Gonna be able to handle seeing your baby all grown up and dancing in someone else's arms?"

He winced, running a hand through his already unruly hair, and sighed. "As long as she saves a dance for me."

I grinned. "She promised me that she'd save a dance for her old man," I teased. "Now come on. I put on my dancing shoes just for you, buddy."

Edward smiled and leaned over to kiss me once before climbing out and moving around to my door.

"Lead the way, love," he said, holding out his arm.

Edward and I found a seat in the big gym of the community center to people watch—specifically to Lizzie watch, although he wouldn't admit it—for a while. The rest of the family joined us when they weren't on the dance floor.

"She's having a good time," Rose said, tilting her head out to where Lizzie was currently dancing with a group of girls to Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

I smiled, nodding. "She is. This is good for her."

Edward grudgingly agreed, and when the music transitioned to "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine, he grinned and stood, holding out his hand. "It's our song, Isabella," he said, his voice low. "Would you care to dance?"

I sighed, remembering not only our first dance—at prom—but also our first dance as husband and wife, when we'd danced to this very song. Smiling softly, I took his hand, and we made our way to the center of the dance floor.

Everything fell away as I drifted in Edward's arms. It wasn't complicated steps or sweeping movements, just simple sways and soft turns as he hummed along in my ear.

When the music trailed off, he kissed me softly and whispered, "I love you, Isabella."

I kissed again, smiling against his lips when the music changed to something more up-tempo.

We stayed out on the dance floor for a while, kicking up our heels with our siblings when they joined us.

Lizzie danced with her friends, including Matthew, until "I Loved Her First" by Heartland started. Coming over to us, she leaned in and whispered into Edward's ear so the only ones to hear were our family. "Dance with me, Daddy?"

Edward gave me a wink as I moved away, and then he picked up her hand, waiting until her left hand was on his shoulder before beginning to waltz to the music like he'd taught her at home.

Just before I could sit down, Emmett appeared, bowing low. "May I have this dance?"

I laughed lightly. "Of course, kind sir."

He wasn't Edward, but Emmett still knew how to work it out on the dance floor. He led me in his own version of a waltz, spinning me in so many circles, I'd have been dizzy had I still been human.

"This is hard for him," he observed as we watched Edward and Lizzie. "I know it is for you, too, but it's killing him to watch her grow up."

Smiling sadly, I nodded. "It is. Growing up means growing apart. He's not ready for that yet." Sighing softly, I added, "Neither am I."

Emmett simply squeezed my hand tighter and twirled me around again and again until I couldn't help but laugh.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Lizzie Age 20  
>Edward's POV<strong>

I couldn't help but worry as Lizzie went around the room, saying her goodbyes to the rest of the family. She was headed off for Ireland for spring break, and as much as I'd have liked to go with her, she was an adult now, as she'd reminded me multiple times over the last two weeks.

Her mind was buzzing with excitement over the trip, which she was taking with three friends from school. They were all nearing the end of their sophomore year at the University of Maine, just outside Bangor, which was where we'd been living for the last two years. Fiona had been an exchange student in the U.S. during her senior year of high school, and she'd loved it so much that she'd stayed to go to college. She and Lizzie had been roommates since the beginning of their freshman year. Jaime and Sophia lived across the hall from them, and the four of them had become fast friends. Two weeks before spring break, Fiona had invited the three of them to visit her family in Ireland for the week. They planned to shop, go out to the club—where it was legal for them to drink—and do the Ring of Kerry, which was a tourist trail through Ireland.

"Dad, try not to worry so much," Lizzie said, interrupting my musings about her trip when she came up to say goodbye. "I'll be fine."

Patting her back gently as she hugged me, I nodded. "I know you will. But it's my job to worry—just ask your mother."

Bella rolled her eyes, smiling, as Lizzie laughed.

"I'll call you when we land, okay?"

"You'd better," Bella said, giving Lizzie a hug.

To see the two of them together was almost frightening. They were physically the same age—both twenty—and looked so much like twins, it was uncanny. Lizzie's face was a little rounder, her body a little less lithe, due to the changes in Bella when she became a vampire. But the resemblance was amazing.

It was sometimes odd, being the father to a twenty-year-old young woman. Physically, I was only seventeen. But I'd been...alive, on this planet, whatever you wanted to call it...for over a century—twenty-six years over, in fact—and most of the time, I felt much older than my physical age belied. Then there were time like now, watching our daughter hug her mother—a woman who looked like her sister—go off on her own without us to another country that I felt every bit the seventeen-year-old: wholly unprepared and unsure of myself.

A honk from outside startled me out of my thoughts and made Lizzie roll her eyes. Fiona had driven over to pick Lizzie up, and then they were meeting the other two at the airport. We'd already loaded her luggage into the trunk, but Lizzie had asked Fiona to wait out in the car while she said her goodbyes.

Giving Bella and me one last smile, a wave to the rest of the family, and a good scratch behind the ears to Gem, Lizzie hurried out to Fiona's car.

Bella and I followed her out, watching from the front porch as the little Camaro drove away.

"She'll be fine, Edward," Bella whispered. "Won't she?"

I tightened my arm around her waist. "Of course she will," I promised.

_I hoped..._

~*~FC~*~

Throughout the week of Lizzie's vacation overseas, Alice had multiple visions of her: deciding to call home, going swimming at an indoor pool at a family friend's house, calling Poppa Charlie to wish him a happy sixty-first birthday. But nothing had been shocking or worrisome until the vision she had Friday morning, nearly a week into Lizzie's stay in Ireland.

_A conversation between Lizzie and her friends, excited about going out that night_

_The cab ride to a club_

_Lizzie and the girls entering Club M, with its loud, pulsing music and bright, flashing lights_

_Dancing with a young man about Lizzie's age_

_Lizzie and the boy moving to a table in a dark corner_

Their conversation made me gasp for an unneeded breath.

"_Are you frightened, _a chroí?_" His voice was low, smooth, the Irish accent heavy through his perfectly stated English, as he called her his heart._

_Reaching up, she trailed a single finger down his cheek, from his too-dark eyes to his full lips. "No," she said softly, shaking her head. "I'm not scared. Your eyes... They're like my family's."_

"Vampire!" Alice and I both said, although hers came out like a gasp, while mine was every bit the curse word I'd intended it to be.

Four minds hit me at once, and within moments, everyone in the house was gathered in the living room, with Bella nearly tearing the bedroom door off its hinges in her haste to get down to us.

"Lizzie?" she cried, looking frightened.

"What? Is Elizabeth all right?" Esme asked, her hand to her mouth.

I ignored everyone but Bella as I quickly repeated Alice's visions, including the glimpse of the cab's clock and fact that the girls' visit to the club was for later that very night.

By the time I finished, Bella already had her phone out and was dialing our daughter's phone number. The sound of the unanswered rings echoed throughout the room. She dialed again and, when she got no response, left a worried, tense voice mail.

"Lizzie, it's m—Bella. Call me immediately. Please." Turning to me, she cried, "Why didn't she answer her phone?"

"I don't know, love," I answered, pulling her into my arms and rubbing her back to soothe her as much as I was able.

When I looked over at Alice, I opened my mouth, but she interrupted before I could speak.

"Already working on it, Edward," she said, putting her phone to her ear.

"What? What's she doing?" Rose demanded. "Edward, we have to go to her. We have to find her. Eyes like ours or not, Lizzie's not—"

"Dammit, I know, Rose," I growled, worry for Lizzie making my tone harsher than I'd intended.

Emmett wrapped his wife in his arms when it seemed like she was going to jump at me.

"What's the plan, Ed?" Jasper asked. He was standing almost at attention, his hands clasped behind his back and a dark look on his face.

"Alice is booking us a flight now..." I paused when I heard her thoughts race by. "Yes, Alice. Better." Looking at the others, I said, "A commercial flight would take too long. We're going to rent a private jet, which should put us in Ireland at..."

"Ten thirty tonight," Alice chimed in. "Western European Time, that is."

Nodding as I listened to her speak into the phone and heard her thoughts, I began doling out orders. "Bella, you keep calling Lizzie's phone. Try calling from Rose's and Emmett's phones as well. I'll pack. Everyone who's going, we'll take off at noon. That's an hour and a half from now. We'll leave the house in an hour. Anyone who needs it"—my eyes slid to Jasper and Emmett—"hunt before we leave."

"No sooner?" Bella asked, her words muffled by my shirt.

"That's the soonest they can have the jet ready," Alice said as she slid her phone back in her pocket. "We'll be there tonight, Bells."

When Bella nodded, Alice and Jasper raced outside. After tossing their phones to me, Rose and Emmett followed them out.

"Edward, I'll call Carlisle and then make arrangements for Gem before I pack," Esme said softly. "Do you need anything else? Bella, sweetheart?"

When Bella shook her head against my chest, I murmured, "No thank you, Esme. That sounds good."

She moved away and headed up the stairs, and I pulled back to look down at Bella.

"Come on, love," I told her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head when she tightened her arms around my waist. "Let's get ready to go find out daughter.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

**Bella's POV**

The eight of us prepared for landing five and a half hours after takeoff. We'd tried calling off and on the whole flight, but Lizzie still wasn't picking up her phone. None of her friends were answering their phones either. Everyone had tried to convince me that there had to be a valid reason for it, but nothing was going to settle my nerves until I set eyes on her daughter. I'd gotten somewhat calmed after Carlisle called Siobhan, the...leader of the Irish coven, who lived not far from Dublin.

~*~FC~*~

"'_ello?" Siobhan's lilting Irish accent echoed in the cabin of the plane._

"_Hello, Siobhan. Carlisle Cullen calling. How are you?"_

_Edward gave him an impatient look, to which Carlisle raised an eyebrow. He must've said something in his thoughts to Edward, because Edward nodded._

_Carlisle turned his attention back to the phone._

"_Carlisle! It's been too long," Siobhan said jovially. "We're well, thank you very much for asking. How are things on your end of the world?"_

"_Things are..." Carlisle huffed, sounding more ruffled than I'd ever heard. "Well, things are a bit...complicated at the moment."_

_I listened as Carlisle explained that an acquaintance of our family was vacationing in Ireland for the week, and Alice had had a vision of her meeting with a golden-eyed vampire. He took great pains to not mention who Lizzie was in relationship to us and our family._

"_So I'm calling in the hopes that you and yours might know something about another like myself and my family in your area," he finished._

"_Oh, yes," the woman cheerfully. "That would be Loch—Lochlan," she clarified. "He's friendly with our small coven here in Ireland. He's a good lad. Your friend is safe in his presence." She chuckled. "Well, as safe as any human in the presence of a vampire, I suppose anyway."_

_Carlisle's voice was calm, even though his eyes appeared worried, as he asked, "Could you tell me a little about him?"_

~*~FC~*~

We'd all listened as Siobhan had told Carlisle that Lochlan was nearly as old as Edward was and had been with them off and on for almost a decade. He'd been drinking from animals since shortly after his change, according to Lochlan, although Siobhan knew no more details than that about why he'd chosen that lifestyle. He liked to immerse himself in the human culture. He'd been turned at twenty-five, so he occasionally chose to attend college or get a job—his most recent choice was to become a college student at the university in Dublin.

"_I would wager your young friend is having the time of her life dancing with him, but he'll likely kiss her hand and bid her farewell come close, Carlisle,"_ she'd finished, sounding sure of herself. _"I've yet to see him bring a woman home from his time at the club."_

Carlisle had asked Siobhan if she minded trying to get in touch with Lochlan, since our friend's phone seemed to be off, but Siobhan had simply laughed and said that as much as he liked to include himself in and amongst humans, Lochlan wasn't one to carry a cell phone. Carlisle had thanked her for her time and hung up the phone without making plans to meet, even though we were going to be in their part of the world.

"Have you seen anything more?" I asked Alice as the plane taxied to a stop.

Alice frowned. "No, nothing yet, Bella. I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "Not your fault, Ali."

It was fifteen minutes till eleven Friday night by the time we disembarked from the plane. Alice had taken care of vehicles while in the air, so there were two cars waiting for us in the small airport's parking lot. Alice, Jasper, Edward, and I climbed into one, leaving the other for Rose, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme, who followed us out of the parking lot.

We knew where we were going, thanks to the GPS inside the car, but it still took us close to half an hour to get to Club M. We were running nearly two hours behind Alice's vision, and I was terrified for my daughter. When we parked, Edward jumped out of the car, and came around to take my hand, ready to hurry inside and find Lizzie, but Alice stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"You can't," she said with a shake of her head.

She closed her eyes, and I knew he was watching a vision play out.

Seething, he clenched his other fist and hissed, "What do you suggest, then, Alice?"

"It has to be Bella and Rose," our sister explained. "They have the best chance to get her out of the club the fastest without causing a scene."

I squeezed his hand as he nodded resolutely. "I'll go get her," I said. "I promise."

Rose joined me, and the two of us sauntered deceptively casually across the street, bypassing the line.

Ignoring the look the bouncer gave us as we stepped up to him, I smiled at a spot above his head instead.

Turning on her vampiric charm, Rose said, "Hey, big guy. Mind if we go on in? Our friends are in there, and we'd really like to dance." When he hesitated, she said, "If you get a break later, maybe you could come inside and buy me a drink, and then we can take a turn on the dance floor..."

The man nodded almost dumbly and swept his arm across, indicating that we should go ahead.

We smiled and walked into the club. I could hear a scuffle from the parking lot and knew whatever the man was thinking had angered Edward. Par for the course in places like this. I wasn't worried. Emmett and Jasper could handle him.

My senses were assaulted the moment we stepped through the door, but I pushed aside the scent of pulsing human blood and focused on finding my daughter and the vampire she was most likely with. Rose and I zeroed in on them at the same moment, and when she indicated the far back corner, I nodded.

Coming around the corner of the dance floor, I spotted them, relaxed in the booth. He was turned slightly to face her, and the smile on her face was a joy to see, even if the cause of it wasn't. She looked happy, dazzled...much like I'd been from almost the first minute after Edward had returned to school and introduced himself.

I could tell the moment Lizzie saw us. Her eyes grew wide and she gasped, turning even more pale than she already was.

Her reaction immediately set the vampire beside her on edge. Lochlan turned, placing himself between Lizzie and whatever implied threat she'd seen. As Rose and I crossed the dance floor, sliding past the couples writhing against each other, he sniffed and then stiffened, and I knew he'd smelled others of his kind.

It only took a moment when he caught sight of us for him to relax. By the time Rose and I made it to their booth, he was gently holding her hand as Lizzie stared up at us, mortified.

"Mo—Bella! Rose! What are you _doing_ here?"

I didn't ask if they minded if we sat. I simply slid into the booth across from Lizzie, leaving Rose room to sit beside me, across from Lochlan.

"You didn't answer your phone," I said simply, raising an eyebrow. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, crap!" Lizzie squeaked, letting go of Lochlan's hand and digging into her pocket, pulling out her cell phone moments later. "I turned it off when we went to watch Fiona's sister's dance recital today, and I must've forgotten to turn it back on. Surely that didn't warrant a trip..." Her voice trailed off, and she sighed. "Aunt Alice."

"I'm afraid so, kiddo. She saw you meeting a vampire tonight, and when we couldn't get ahold of you, we feared the worst." I shuddered as the last of the fear I'd held onto all day finally began edging away. "It's nice to meet you, Lochlan," I said, holding out my hand. "I'm Bella, Lizzie's mother." I said it low enough that no one outside our immediate table could hear.

"You know him?" Lizzie gasped, turning to look at him. "Loch! You didn't tell me you knew my family!"

"No, _a chroí,_" he said soothingly. "I don't know them. Perhaps your father...?"

I shook my head. "We contacted some friends of ours here in Ireland. They told us about you."

Lochlan grinned and relaxed back against his seat. "Aye. You mustn't believe everything Siobhan tell you. She's been known to spin a tale or two."

Chuckling, I said, "She only had good things to say, I promise." Remembering how he'd relaxed when he saw us, I said, "You recognized us."

Lochlan nodded. "When I grew weary of my diet and changed what I...ate, Siobhan told me about the famous Carlisle Cullen, and she's kept me informed of the changes to your family, which is how I recognized the two of you."

My phone beeped, and I pulled it out, reading the text from Edward.

_Bella, please. I have to see Lizzie..._

"Okay, Lizzie-bear," I said, using the nickname we had when she was younger that we didn't call her often anymore. "Your father's about to crawl out of his skin waiting to see you. Think we can go outside and assure him that you're in one piece?"

Lizzie looked sheepish and nodded. "Loch, do you mind coming out and...?"

He smiled a dazzling smile at her, raising her hand to his lips. "Not at all. No time like the present to meet the rest of your family."

We slid out of the booth and waited as Lizzie led Lochlan over to the dance floor to find her friends. Rose and I waved at the other girls when they looked our way and smiled. Then Lizzie turned back and motioned to the door. I nodded, and Rose and I followed them through the crowd and out of the club.

"Across the street at the back of the parking lot," I told my daughter, motioning for the two of them to go ahead.

It was amazing to see the way the two of them interacted with each other after having just met a few hours before. His hand rested on her lower back as she leaned into him, even as they walked. They continued exchanging glances, and when she stumbled because she was busy watching him instead of where she was going, he gently righted her and they continued moving ahead. It reminded me so much of myself and Edward when I was still human that it hurt my heart.

I knew Lizzie's life had just changed forever. I recognized the signs. Like her mother, Lizzie had found her other half, her soul mate, and if the adoration that shone clearly in his eyes was any indication, Lochlan felt the same.

Now I just had to convince Edward not to kill him before hearing them out.

~*~FC~*~

_A/N #2: I had SO much fun writing this. It was fun trying to come up with different ideas to show her growing up. And yeah, this ended kind of at an odd place... You want to see the rest of the family meet Lochlan and see what happens with him and Lizzie, right? Good news is I'll be doing a sequel, starring the two of them! :) I haven't even started writing it yet, but it's what is next on my list, so as soon as I can, I'll start it._

_I have several people to thank. As always, Deb (Drotuno) helped a ton with figuring out which milestones to hit and how. Bethany Tullos made a gorgeous manip of Lizzie and Lochlan (which you can see on my site. Check my profile for a link. :) ), while Mimi Holmes made a fantastic manip of Edward & Gem. Thanks so much to Cara, too, for prereading. :) __Finally, thanks to Coreen for putting her red pen to it and helping catch what I missed (and believe me, I missed plenty! :) )_

_Let me know what you thought, please! And don't forget to check out the images that go along with this! Mwah! – Jen_


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